By this point, anyone with a pair of thumbs and a social media account has heard of the term 'quiet quitting' in some way. It mostly describes the professional phenomenon of disengaging mentally from one’s job. No extra effort is put forth, only the bare minimum is done until they fade into the obscurity of the company or eventually leave all together.
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Now, what if we told you that this corporate practice has also become a prevalent relationship issue?
What is romantic quiet quitting?
Unlike other modern separation tactics like 'ghosting', which is leaving a relationship without warning, quiet quitting is much more of a gradual pulling away. There is hope because this means that there are signs that you can notice in your own relationship, and actions to take to help resolve the breakdown.
There are many little ways to notice it, but here are a couple of the biggest signs that your partner might be trying to quit quietly:
A drop in affection and attention
This category can manifest in different ways. If a partner has started to lose interest in planning or committing to activities or has been avoiding quality time with their partner, this could be a tell-tale sign of quiet quitting.
Usually, this drop-off in wanting to give attention to the relationship also comes with a diminished amount of physical affection. If one is noticing their partner less, or making less romantic advances, this could be a red flag as well.
A breakdown or lack of communication
Constant and good quality communication is key to any relationship, not just romantic ones! That’s why a steep drop off in communication can be one of the biggest ways to tell that a partner is quiet quitting. This can present as something as simple as not sharing life updates or general information about their day with a partner, to more extreme measures like making future plans without consulting the other.
If the frequency and calibre of communication, whether in person or by call and text, drop significantly, then this can be sending a whole different message in itself.
What can we do about quiet quitting?
If you notice that your partner may be quiet quitting, then the best thing to do is to reopen the gates of communication and let your partner know that you’ve noticed a change in the relationship. It is worth your well-being to say something to them like: 'I feel that things between us have changed and I would appreciate us having a chat about this’, opening the door for a mature and honest conversation.
Hopefully, this questioning and a little work with your partner will help solve the situation in the best way.
Sources used:
Psychology today: 'What Quiet Quitting Looks Like in Relationships'
ID Vice: 'How to tell if your partner's quiet quitting your relationship'
