Are you constantly exhausted during your working hours? Does staying focused at work leave you drained of energy? Do you find yourself losing focus while working? If yes, then you might be suffering from quiet cracking.
COVID‑19 and the subsequent Great Resignation prompted many to question hustle culture. Remote work blurred the lines between personal life and professional demands, triggering a reassessment of priorities. A recent Gallup survey estimates that roughly 60% of workers globally are disengaged or quietly quitting, with only about 21–32% reporting strong workplace engagement.
Figuring Out The Perfect Work-Life Balance
Burnout has led many professionals to introspect about their work-life balance. But does it affect their professional commitments? Surprisingly, no. They continue to deliver flawless presentations and fulfil all their work responsibilities on time. But behind that amazing output lies an exhausted mind and a soulless spirit.
Quiet cracking is common among young professionals entering the corporate workforce. Most join with high hopes and fresh ideas, only to find themselves stuck in a monotonous 9-to-5 routine. Their five-year plans begin to feel like unachievable dreams, and they slowly detach from their work.
While quiet quitting involves consciously stepping back from professional overcommitment, quiet cracking is a rebranded term for excessive burnout. Remote and hybrid workers are most affected. As many as 81% in remote settings identify with quiet cracking behaviour, as compared to 38% office workers.
What Is The Ultimate Solution?
Behind the dreamy office life lies a harsher reality that many employees face: unrealistic deadlines, ineffective yet frequent meetings, rigid office hierarchies, low increments, monotonous tasks, and a complete lack of work-life balance. Many are often reprimanded for requesting holidays or fewer working hours. Young employees in the workforce are frequently overlooked for major projects, with their lack of experience cited as the reason.
The recession has further intensified workplace exhaustion, as people continue to work tirelessly for minimal pay. Most are burdened by the realities of bills, rent, EMIs, and insurance, yet they remain stuck in jobs that offer little financial reward. Studies show only 32% of workers are engaged, while half or more have quiet quitter tendencies.
Quiet cracking does not stem from laziness; it is a sign of exhaustion and stress that employers often overlook. A delicate balance between boundaries and belonging may define the workplaces of tomorrow.
Source – https://www.shethepeople.tv/lifestyle/quiet-cracking-burnout-workplace-culture-9536271