Instead of abruptly leaving a job, “Quiet Quitting” refers to doing what the job requires, no more and no less. Essentially, this means doing just what you were hired to do—no off-the-clock meetings, no weekend work, and no checking emails on vacation.

Some writers speculate that this trend is the result of the trauma all of us have experienced with Covid – losing jobs, friends, and family, losing faith in our institutions, and losing a sense of meaning in our work.

Most people are so shocked by a job loss that their whole lives are turned upside down. They suddenly can’t pay regular bills, they lose their work friends, and they change their sleeping hours. Some even quit dressing and lounge around in underwear or pajamas most of the day.