1. beautyHEALTH
78 FASHION | November 2016 f a s h i o n m a g a z i n e . c o m
photographybycarlomendoza
Great EscapeJennifer Goldberg investigates why a wave of
adults are calling it quits in the workplace.
L
isa Felepchuk had what most people
would consider a dream job. As the
editor of S/ Magazine, she spent her
days doing glamorous things, like
jetting first class to the Paris couture
shows. But despite the lavish oppor-
tunities, she longed for more indepen-
dence. And as someone who suffers
from chronic headaches (a result of
endometriosis and polycystic ovarian
syndrome), she also wanted a schedule that would allow her
to look after her health. So she did something many of us only
dream about: She quit after almost three years on the job. “I
was looking for the freedom to work somewhere other than an
office and the ability to be my own boss,” she says.
The 32-year-old bid adieu to her luxe Toronto life in
favour of a new kind of glamour: She and her boyfriend are
working as freelance writers while travelling around North
America and living out of a 1983 Westfalia van—with no
bathroom. “It’s still stressful, but it’s a stress that I have control
over,” she says from a park bench in Regina that’s acting as
her temporary office for the day. “I can take the time and pay
more attention to my health when I’m not on the 9-to-5 any-
more. I can take a nap if I need to.”
I can relate. I was three months into what I thought was
the career-making position of my dreams as a senior web
editor when I started experiencing severe anxiety. I’d had
panic attacks in the past, but this was constant and most
certainly job related. The position, it turned out, wasn’t
what the hiring manager had described during the interview
process. I worked overtime to meet my boss’s unclear objec-
tives and made a huge effort to ingratiate myself with a team
that was less than thrilled to have a new member. The harder
I tried, the more I realized that I needed to leave. I handed
in my resignation and started my own writing and editing
business, and I haven’t looked back. I love the freedom
of setting my own schedule and the challenge of meeting
my own business goals. »

2. 80 FASHION | November 2016 f a s h i o n m a g a z i n e . c o m
beautyHEALTH
hat was four years ago. At the time, I felt
alone in my decision to ditch a secure posi-
tion (with benefits!) when so many of my
peers were jobless. But fast-forward to 2016
and quitting is suddenly en vogue. While
previous generations may have clung for dear
life to the idea that “winners never quit and quitters
never win,” today we’re more likely to be inspired by
Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt’s Titus Andromedon’s
decree that “quitters are America’s unsung heroes.”
A 2016 global survey from business services firm
Deloitte suggests that quitting is, indeed, top of mind
for millennials—44 per cent of workers in this cohort
say that, if given the choice, they’d ditch their cur-
rent gigs in the next two years. Compare that to the
baby boomers: Another U.S. poll shows that more
than 40 per cent of that generation stayed with their
employers for upward of two decades.
Business researchers say this trend reflects a “lack
of loyalty” and suggest companies need to step up
their game in fostering and growing young talent by
providing mentorship, encouragement and a clear
path to leadership roles. That’s likely true. But I
don’t buy into the clichéd idea that millennials are
fickle and disloyal, which has been the subject of
headlines over the past few years. In fact, they might
be onto something. Approximately 8 per cent of
Canadian adults will experience major depression
in their lifetime and 5 per cent will have an anxiety
disorder, according to the Canadian Mental Health
Association. It seems that many people, millennials or
not, are looking for ways to boost their happiness. For
some, quitting their job could be the first step.
But why are so many of us unhappy at work?
According to a study published in Social and Personality
Psychology Compass, researchers found that people who
gave up chasing unattainable goals (read: trying to get
a promotion while dealing with time-sucking illness) to
focus on more realistic things (read: asking your super-
visor for a reduced workload) reported better feelings of
overall health and demonstrated more normal levels of
the stress hormone cortisol. The idea is that, over time,
constant disappointment may lead to ongoing stress,
depression and anxiety. “That can start a cycle where
the emotional distress disrupts other physiological sys-
tems in the body,” says Carsten Wrosch, a psychol-
ogy professor at Montreal’s Concordia University
and the author of the study. »
1. How would you describe your
work environment?
a) Innovative and motivating
b) A bit boring but chill
c) Volatile
2. Which of the following best
describes your moods:
a) Happy and energetic
b) I have good days and bad, but
mostly feel good
c) I feel tired and cranky most days
3. What’s your workload like?
a) Pretty consistent and organized
b) I have hectic periods
followed by lulls
c) I am always crazy busy
4. How qualified do you
feel for your job?
a) They hit the gold mine when
they found me
b) Faking it till I make it
c) Trying not to get fired daily
5. How would you consider your
supervisors/management?
a) We’re BFFs and talk about
everything
b) I try not to say too much, but
if anything major comes up
I’m pretty sure my boss will
have my back
c) Talking to my boss is like
talking to a wall
If you answered mostly Cs:
You’re burnt out. Book a flight to Bali—stat.
Make sleep, exercise and healthy eating
a priority and talk to your doctor to make
sure you’re not suffering from anxiety or
depression. Make meditation your BFF.
If you answered mostly As:
Can you get us a job? Kidding, but you’re
likely killing it at the office. Just make sure
you don’t rest on your laurels, as your
success is dependent on your ability to
change and adapt.
If you answered mostly Bs:
It seems like you’re in a good place, but
if one element shifts (say your workload
gets slightly greater or you start to
get bored) you might end up burn-
ing out in the near future.
Are you at risk
of burnout?
“Burnout is the emotional, mental
and physical exhaustion people
experience from prolonged stress
at work,” says Donna Ferguson,
clinical psychologist at CAMH. “It’s
feeling overwhelmed, emotionally
drained and unable to keep up with
demands.” You’re probably nod-
ding, so take this quiz to see how
stressed out you really are.
Analyze This
Felepchuk’s
ride/home
(from top)
and “office”
It seems
that many
people,
millennials
or not, are
looking
for ways to
boosttheir
happiness.
For some,
quitting
their job
could be the
first step.

3. 82 FASHION | November 2016 f a s h i o n m a g a z i n e . c o m
beautyHEALTH
pril Brown followed her instincts
when they told her to quit her job
as an account director at a large
PR firm in Toronto. After six
years in the high-stress position,
the once-outgoing 32-year-old
realized she was depressed and isolating
herself from friends and family. “I was
coming home from work and having emo-
tional breakdowns,” she says. “I spent a lot
of time in my apartment crying by myself
and sometimes drinking alone after long
days.” After resigning last March, she spent
several months travelling, but she struggled
with the idea that quitting meant she had
failed. “My job was how I defined myself
in many ways,” she says. “I couldn’t under-
stand what all that hard work was for.”
Then, Brown and a close friend
decided to make good on a dream they
shared to become moteliers. They joined
forces (and cash) and purchased a motel
in Prince Edward County, Ont., slated
to reopen as The June next spring. Once
this new plan was in place, Brown truly
began to see a shift: She started being
social again without feeling like she had
to fake being happy. “The emotional
breakdown left my ego pretty fragile,”
she says. “But running this motel and
successfully dealing with all that comes
up in a day has just made me stronger
and more self-confident.”
Mapping out the next step is key in
reaping the benefits of quitting, suggests
Caird Urquhart, a life coach based in
Toronto. But she also warns that walking
away isn’t always the solution. “The whole
work-life balance thing is very trendy,” she
says. “The idea that you have to quit your
job to find something better or find more
freedom—some people can take it a little
bit too far.... There’s a time in life when
you need to work hard.” For most, that
means the beginning years of their careers.
We should recognize, too, that those
who are able to up and quit are in a
particularly fortunate position. Eran
Sudds, 37, who is based in Tsawwassen,
B.C., didn’t dislike her career as an
@Wildnoms
Husband-wife duo James
and Sarah live in their
2005 Jayco Jayflight with
daughter Stella and dog
Lavender (and they eat
raw and vegan).
event coordinator. She had benefits, job
security and a good salary. But the stress
of the job began to take a toll. “I had to
go to the hospital for chest pains, which
[doctors] diagnosed as a panic attack,”
she says. “I was stressed about a job I
wasn’t invested in.” It was the first time
she’d ever experienced severe anxiety.
Around that time, Sudds devoured
the memoir Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth
Gilbert—the patron saint of quitters.
Inspired by the book and encouraged by
her husband, she quit her job to travel
and pursue photography. “I know I was
very privileged to have a husband who
could support me and the luxury to
travel and take jobs that paid less,” she
says of her experience, which she wrote
about in Eat Pray Love Made Me Do It
(Riverhead Books, 2016), a 10-year anni-
versary collection of essays by women
who were inspired by the book. “But
there are ways you can change your life
that don’t have to be so huge,” she adds.
Urquhart suggests making a pros-cons
list. She also coaxes her clients to be
specific about what they dislike at work.
If overtime is a major stressor, for example,
talk to your boss about tweaking your
schedule. Another place to start is look-
ing at your life outside of work, says
Donna Ferguson, clinical psychologist at
CAMH. Are you getting enough sleep
and exercise? And do you have a social
life? For Ferguson, making your life less
about work, and more about you, can be
the healthiest place to start.
If you do decide that quitting is the
best option, know that it’s not the end of
stress. I’m working harder than ever to
keep my own business afloat. And while
Felepchuk’s new life may seem carefree,
she’s supporting herself with corporate
writing gigs. She has also launched a
travel and lifestyle blog called LietCo.
But now, she says, the extra hours are
worth it. “It feels so much more fulfilling
to be working on my own projects and to
be in charge of my own destiny.” Some-
times, quitters really do win.
Unlimited
roaming
A quick scroll through
Twitter and Instagram
reveals that many 20-
and 30-somethings
are leaving big homes
and jobs behind in
the name of freedom.
@AdventurousKate
Kate McCulley ditched her
full-time job in marketing
five years ago to travel FT.
@Mattandjessicasailing
Matt and Jess Johnson quit
their jobs in 2011 in order to
sail—and they’re still at sea.
@Twodriftersxo
Amy and Nathan are
Americans who met in
2011 at a hostel. They have
been blogging and travel-
ling together ever since.
My job was how I defined
myself in many ways...
I couldn’t understand what
all that hard work was for.