Is ‘quiet quitting’ a good idea? Students reflect on positive work/life balance

Chapman students talk about their experiences with managing a good work/life balance and the new phenomenon of quiet quitting. Illustration by WYATT LINCOLN, illustrator

Imagine a world where with a simple procedure, your work life and home life could be completely separated. No more overwhelming worries about big work projects while you’re trying to enjoy time with your family. No more nagging thoughts of what to make for dinner while you’re conversing with coworkers. 

In the show “Severance” on Apple TV+, this concept is brought to life. However, the closest real life has come to this concept is the idea of quiet quitting. 

According to CNBC, “quiet quitting,” although it has no concrete definition, occurs when an unhappy employee stays at their current workplace. But. rather than going above and beyond, they meet the bare minimum for the job requirements. 

The reason behind this concept can vary. Some say that perhaps they aren’t being compensated to do more work or they don’t feel trusted to do more than what they are already doing. 

For Seth Karall, a junior broadcast journalism and documentary major, quiet quitting is a concept that he is in full support of.

“I'm all for quiet quitting,” Karall said. “I think that it's something that's proven itself necessary, especially for younger workers. I feel like now, our culture kind of tells us that we have more value than not getting paid for what we're doing.”

Not only is Karall an advocate for quiet quitting, but he told The Panther that it’s an idea he has implemented into his own work life.

“I was working at an internship, it was unpaid and I was getting assigned enough work that I would be working for more than 15 hours (or) right around 20 hours a week,” Karall said. "It was close to a part-time job, but I was unpaid. And even though I got a lot of great experience out of it, when they asked if I wanted to work for them over the summer I said, ‘Yes, I would love to, but I need to be compensated for it.’”

Although quiet quitting might help an individual at work, creating a work/life balance is still a crucial part of maintaining a healthy lifestyle. For some people, like sophomore communication studies major Emma Sharman, this balance was easy to achieve by prioritizing both work and life aspects on a daily basis.

“I like to be busy, but I wouldn't say I prioritize (work) over life,” Sharman said “I am also really social. I like to go out a lot. I like to spend a lot of time with my friends, even if we're not doing anything exhilarating, even if we're all just sitting around. Sometimes that's what all of us need.”

Nina Gee, a junior screenwriting major, said she has always found herself giving most of her time to work, partially due to how she was raised. But whereas in high school she would be less rigid about her schedule, now in college she is more strict with herself in order to get work done. 

“Honestly, I'm very much work-oriented,” Gee said. “I tend to prioritize my schoolwork above all else… Because of high school, I went with the flow, and now I'll have dedicated times during the week where I’m like, ‘Okay, this is (time for) like schoolwork.’ Or, ‘This is (time for) one internship or this is for another internship.’ So I'm definitely a lot more schedule oriented.”

Another important aspect of separating work and social life is setting boundaries at work. Without boundaries, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by everything going on in your life. For Sharman, they said setting boundaries is something they love and are very upfront about. 

“(I’ll let a company know) when I'm available and what I can handle and I will not be taking any more than that,” Sharman said. “I think that setting boundaries is super important. It's a self respect thing. (I am) setting boundaries to ensure that (I’m) not doing more than I can handle.”

Although finding the perfect balance isn’t easy for anybody, there are ways you can listen to your own needs to make sure you find a schedule that works for you. Karall said he pulls back from work when he feels sick from not getting enough sleep, and he offered some advice to those who haven’t figured out a pattern yet.

“Listen to what your body tells you,” Karall said. “If you feel like you want to be more productive and get more work done and you want to have things that you can show that you're proud of, then focus on that. If your body's pulling away and saying, ‘I need some space. I need a little bit of time to reconnect,’ then I feel like that's totally valid too. So just kind of sensing what's best for your own needs and your own well being.”

Even though the idea of “Severance” may sound appealing in theory, the reality is that completely separating two important parts of your life will not work — which is obvious for those who have seen the show. Instead, try out quiet quitting and test the most comfortable limits at work.