How to decide when it's time to leave your job
An arresting recent news headline was "Cardiac arrests on the job are rising and often fatal". In Japan, the term "karoshi" is used to refer to deaths from overwork, a phenomenon that is now recognised as a worldwide problem, killing more than 700,000 people a year. If you're asking yourself 'when should I leave my current job?', a pretty good answer is 'before it kills you'.
What do academic experts and researchers have to say about the topic? Two researchers from the University of Southern California listed five reasons you should start thinking about leaving your job. First they suggested that it was time to look for another job when your current job provides few opportunities for growth or promotions.
From RTÉ Radio 1's Drivetime, new job advice from career psychologist Sinead Brady
Second, you should start looking if your organisation is running into or pushing you towards ethical and legal problems. Third, they suggested leaving if you don't like the direction leadership is taking. Fourth, you should leave when you no longer feel passionate about your work. Finally, you should leave your current job if it threatens your mental health.
All five of these are potentially reasonable suggestions, but the first four strike me as "rich people" problems. Leaving your job because there is not much room for growth, or because you have lost your passion for the job or because you disagree with corporate leadership are the sorts of concerns that haunt consultants and finance bros. However, these are rarely pressing concerns for the regular working man or woman.
For many working people, the decision to leave is often the result of some combination of push or pull factors. Push factors include poor working conditions, burnout, or a change in family circumstances, while pull factors include opportunities for better pay, better working conditions or more stable work elsewhere.
From RTÉ Radio 1's The Business, lessons from former England soccer boss Gareth Southgate on how to know when to quit your job
There is not a realistic path towards leaving your current job for most of us unless an acceptable alternative is available. However, there are times when it might be important to leave regardless of the alternatives.
First, you should leave your job if it is harming your health. Many jobs expose employees to injury, accidents or repetitive motion that can be hazardous to your health, including construction, agriculture, truck driving and mining. Others expose employees to unique risks, such as radiology technicians, dental workers or industrial welders, all of whom might be exposed to hazardous chemicals or elements. You do not want to leave your current job by being carried out feet first.
Second, you should seriously consider leaving jobs that harm your mental health. Work-related anxiety, depression, sleep loss, and the like represent serious, and sometimes deadly risks. Jobs that expose you to toxic organisational cultures, substandard working conditions, abusive supervision, workplace violence or bullying, sexual harassment and the like do serious long-term harm.
From RTÉ Radio 1's Today with Claire Byrne, workplace psychologist Patricia Murray on dealing with difficult bosses
Furthermore, this harm can be difficult to isolate or detect, especially in jobs that expose workers to chronic stress, harm or harassment. Exposure to chronic harassment or bullying, even if each individual incident seems minor, can lead to substance abuse disorders, coronary heart disease and migraines. Workplaces that treat you badly can be just as deadly as workplaces that expose you to dangerous chemicals or working conditions.
Leaving a job can be difficult. Jobs may provide you with a paycheck, but they also provide an identity and structure. One of the reasons people (especially men) sometimes have difficulty with retirement is that losing a job can set people adrift. Jobs provide structure to your life by telling you what you should be doing and where you should be five or more days a week, and leaving a job, even a bad job, can deprive people of this structure. Nevertheless, there are clearly times when it is much better to leave than it is to stay. If your job is driving you crazy or making you sick, leaving is better than staying even if the alternatives are not entirely clear.
I gave the University of Southern California experts some grief earlier for concentrating on the problems which executives, consultants or finance professionals experience, but I agree fully with one of their suggestions. If you are unhappy with your current job, talk with someone who can help you work out whether you are simply a bit unhappy with your current job or whether the job situation has become so toxic that you must leave. Many organisations provide referrals to counsellors or mental health professionals so talk to your HR department. Everyone will be unhappy at work some of the time, but it is time to leave if your job threatens your physical or mental health.
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RTÉ News
3 days ago
- RTÉ News
How to decide when it's time to leave your job
An arresting recent news headline was "Cardiac arrests on the job are rising and often fatal". In Japan, the term "karoshi" is used to refer to deaths from overwork, a phenomenon that is now recognised as a worldwide problem, killing more than 700,000 people a year. If you're asking yourself 'when should I leave my current job?', a pretty good answer is 'before it kills you'. What do academic experts and researchers have to say about the topic? Two researchers from the University of Southern California listed five reasons you should start thinking about leaving your job. First they suggested that it was time to look for another job when your current job provides few opportunities for growth or promotions. From RTÉ Radio 1's Drivetime, new job advice from career psychologist Sinead Brady Second, you should start looking if your organisation is running into or pushing you towards ethical and legal problems. Third, they suggested leaving if you don't like the direction leadership is taking. Fourth, you should leave when you no longer feel passionate about your work. Finally, you should leave your current job if it threatens your mental health. All five of these are potentially reasonable suggestions, but the first four strike me as "rich people" problems. Leaving your job because there is not much room for growth, or because you have lost your passion for the job or because you disagree with corporate leadership are the sorts of concerns that haunt consultants and finance bros. However, these are rarely pressing concerns for the regular working man or woman. For many working people, the decision to leave is often the result of some combination of push or pull factors. Push factors include poor working conditions, burnout, or a change in family circumstances, while pull factors include opportunities for better pay, better working conditions or more stable work elsewhere. From RTÉ Radio 1's The Business, lessons from former England soccer boss Gareth Southgate on how to know when to quit your job There is not a realistic path towards leaving your current job for most of us unless an acceptable alternative is available. However, there are times when it might be important to leave regardless of the alternatives. First, you should leave your job if it is harming your health. Many jobs expose employees to injury, accidents or repetitive motion that can be hazardous to your health, including construction, agriculture, truck driving and mining. Others expose employees to unique risks, such as radiology technicians, dental workers or industrial welders, all of whom might be exposed to hazardous chemicals or elements. You do not want to leave your current job by being carried out feet first. Second, you should seriously consider leaving jobs that harm your mental health. Work-related anxiety, depression, sleep loss, and the like represent serious, and sometimes deadly risks. Jobs that expose you to toxic organisational cultures, substandard working conditions, abusive supervision, workplace violence or bullying, sexual harassment and the like do serious long-term harm. From RTÉ Radio 1's Today with Claire Byrne, workplace psychologist Patricia Murray on dealing with difficult bosses Furthermore, this harm can be difficult to isolate or detect, especially in jobs that expose workers to chronic stress, harm or harassment. Exposure to chronic harassment or bullying, even if each individual incident seems minor, can lead to substance abuse disorders, coronary heart disease and migraines. Workplaces that treat you badly can be just as deadly as workplaces that expose you to dangerous chemicals or working conditions. Leaving a job can be difficult. Jobs may provide you with a paycheck, but they also provide an identity and structure. One of the reasons people (especially men) sometimes have difficulty with retirement is that losing a job can set people adrift. Jobs provide structure to your life by telling you what you should be doing and where you should be five or more days a week, and leaving a job, even a bad job, can deprive people of this structure. Nevertheless, there are clearly times when it is much better to leave than it is to stay. If your job is driving you crazy or making you sick, leaving is better than staying even if the alternatives are not entirely clear. I gave the University of Southern California experts some grief earlier for concentrating on the problems which executives, consultants or finance professionals experience, but I agree fully with one of their suggestions. If you are unhappy with your current job, talk with someone who can help you work out whether you are simply a bit unhappy with your current job or whether the job situation has become so toxic that you must leave. Many organisations provide referrals to counsellors or mental health professionals so talk to your HR department. Everyone will be unhappy at work some of the time, but it is time to leave if your job threatens your physical or mental health.
Extra.ie
11-06-2025
- Extra.ie
Roscommon man speaks out after kicking 50-year smoking habit at 71
A 71-year-old man who gave up cigarettes after more than 50 years has said he is 'feeling fantastic' and never suffers with short breath anymore. The former smoker told of how he took up the habit thinking it made him a 'big fella' as 'nearly everybody was smoking' at the time. The Roscommon man expressed his delight as he celebrated a year without smoking, praising the HSE'S Quit programme as the helping hand he needed. A 71-year-old man who gave up cigarettes after more than 50 years has said he is 'feeling fantastic' and never suffers with short breath anymore. Pic: Getty Images Speaking to Katie Hannon on RTÉ Radio 1's Liveline, Mick admitted he had tried throughout the years to break the habit, but noted he never had help and would be 'back to square one' after three or four days. His partner Olivia was also a smoker with Mick noting the pair were 'supporting' each other during their smoking days. The journey to breaking the habit for good began when the couple went on a programme for sickness for the elderly which took place in Roscommon Town. 'It was from there we found out about the clinic that helps people give up cigarettes,' Mick explained, 'We could find it ourselves, during the fitness classes, that we weren't as good as we should be. His partner Olivia was also a smoker with Mick noting the pair were 'supporting' each other during their smoking days. Pic: Getty Images 'We had developed a certain amount of COPD as well, it was all down to cigarettes. That's when we went to this clinic here in Roscommon, run by the HSE.' Mick put full credit on Angela in the clinic as the 'real cause' both himself and his wife are no longer smokers. 'She was brilliant and I would advise anyone that's in the locality that wants to give up the cigarettes to go to her and she will put you in the right direction,' he said. 'You get everything there, you get the patches and the whole lot of advice and everything you want, you get it there and it's brilliant.' A year on the 71-year-old said he was 'feeling fantastic.' Pic: Getty Images Mick added that the key to success was the desire to want to break the habit, adding that the encouragement comes from those inside the clinic. 'The first two weeks will be very difficult,' he warned, 'There's no point in saying otherwise but you have to say to yourself: 'I'm going to stick at it. 'Get the first two weeks over. Take it a day at a time then for the next two weeks. From there, off you go. It gets easier from there on in. 'What you really have is a month of desperation.' The Roscommon man explained that things such as walking and gardening and being active helped him get through the first difficult four weeks. A year on the 71-year-old said he was 'feeling fantastic.' 'I go out walking now, I can do two miles easily, no bother,' he told Katie, 'I can do my gardening now, dig out everything. 'I'm much fitter now, I'm never short of breath now or anything.'
RTÉ News
03-06-2025
- RTÉ News
What is CTE and why does it matter for Irish athletes?
Analysis: Brain injuries in sport are a growing public health issue that affects players at all levels, from local community teams to seasoned professionals By Chris Greene, RCSI Whether it's a clash of heads during a rugby tackle, a late hit in Gaelic football, or a crunching collision on the soccer pitch, head impacts in sport are unfortunately part of the game. But what are the long-term consequences? And what should we be doing about them, especially here in Ireland? Brain injuries in sport aren't just a concern for elite athletes or international stars, they're a growing public health issue that affects players at all levels, from local community teams to seasoned professionals. In the United States alone, an estimated 1.6 to 3.8 million sports-related concussions occur every year. But not all head knocks result in a full-blown concussion. In fact, many more go under the radar as "sub-concussive" impacts, blows that might not cause obvious symptoms but still impact the brain. There is mounting evidence that it is the cumulative effect of these repeated, lower impact hits; not just the number of concussions, that plays a key role in the development of a serious condition called chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). From RTÉ Radio 1's Saturday with Colm Ó Mongáin, Ombudsman waiting eight years for children's sport concussion policy What is CTE? CTE is a progressive brain disease linked to repeated head injuries. It's been seen in boxers, American footballers, rugby players, and increasingly in other contact sports like soccer or MMA. At present, it can only be definitively diagnosed after death, during an autopsy. Neuropathologists look for an abnormal build-up of a protein called tau, which clusters around small blood vessels in the brain. This build-up appears to damage nearby brain tissue and over time may lead to memory loss, mood swings, and confusion. Because diagnosing CTE in living individuals remains a challenge, researchers have developed a set of clinical guidelines called Traumatic Encephalopathy Syndrome (TES). Think of TES as a way to spot red flags like memory problems or changes in behaviour in people with a history of head injuries. These criteria, updated by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) in 2021, were developed by studying confirmed CTE cases. While TES does not provide a definitive diagnosis, it indicates the possibility of trauma-related brain injury. Ongoing international projects, like DIAGNOSE CTE, are trying to find ways to detect signs of the disease earlier, but we're not quite there yet. From CNN, Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta explains the causes and symptoms of chronic traumatic encephalopathy What's the role of the blood-brain barrier? One of the most important and least understood players in this story is something called the blood-brain barrier (BBB). It's a kind of security gate that protects the brain from harmful substances in the bloodstream. Disruptions to the BBB have been seen in many neurological disorders, including traumatic brain injury. In CTE, researchers have found that the protective barrier may start to leak, allowing toxic proteins or inflammatory molecules to seep into brain tissue. Our research group, alongside others, has found that athletes exposed to repetitive head injury, even without a diagnosed concussion, can show signs of this barrier breaking down. It's not just in American football or boxing; similar patterns are being investigated in Irish rugby and GAA players too. Ireland isn't just watching from the sidelines. A collaborative project between RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Trinity College Dublin, and St James's Hospital is exploring how repeated head trauma affects the blood-brain barrier and how this might contribute to memory issues or cognitive decline in later life. The project, funded by Research Ireland, uses advanced imaging techniques, such as dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI, to measure BBB health in retired athletes. What's striking is that even years after leaving the sport, some former players still show signs of brain changes. The next step is to understand how this relates to things like depression, memory loss, or dementia. Why it matters Traumatic brain injuries have been linked with a higher risk of conditions like dementia, mood disorders, and even suicide. In the US, retired American footballers are five times more likely to develop dementia. But this isn't just an American story. A Scottish study found that former professional soccer players were 3.5 times more likely to die from a neurodegenerative disease. Swedish studies have shown similar findings. While Irish data is still emerging, there are real concerns for former rugby players here at home. Rugby only turned professional in the mid-1990s, so we're just beginning to understand the long-term impacts on those who played at the top level. From RTÉ Radio 1's Today with Claire Byrne, Consultant Neurologist at the Mater Professor Tim Lynch on concussions in sport A game of balance Sport is a vital part of Irish life. From weekend GAA matches to the roar of the Aviva on a Six Nations Day, it brings people together, builds community, and supports mental and physical health. But with this passion must come responsibility. Protecting brain health isn't about taking the joy out of sport, it's about ensuring that players can enjoy those benefits long after the final whistle. That means better awareness, smarter rules, improved protective equipment, and ongoing research into how to detect and treat brain injuries early. It also means listening to former players, parents, coaches, and medical professionals as we build a safer future for the next generation of Irish athletes.
