Resigning – The days before are the hardest

The decision to leave a job is rarely made overnight. It builds slowly. Maybe you feel like you have stopped growing. Maybe the culture no longer fits you. Maybe the work no longer excites you, or you have found an opportunity that truly does.

Whatever the reason, there comes a point where you know you need to move on. That is the logical side. The emotional side is a completely different story.

In the days before you resign, those good reasons can be drowned out by doubt. You lie awake at night running through every possible reaction your boss might have. You second-guess yourself. You wonder if you are making a mistake. You picture awkward conversations, disappointment, even anger. It becomes exhausting before you have even done anything.

I know this because I have been there. Even with years of recruitment experience and the knowledge that resigning is just part of working life, I have felt my heart pound as I walked towards that conversation. I have wondered if it was worth the stress, if I should just put my head down and carry on.

The truth is that the anxiety before resigning is often far worse than the resignation itself. Those scenarios you have been playing on repeat in your head rarely happen. More often than not, your boss will listen, thank you for what you have contributed and wish you well.

Here is something important to remember. You cannot control how your boss will feel or how they will react. You can only control what you say, how you say it, and the reasons you stand by. The rest is not in your hands. What will be will be.

Resigning is tough because it means leaving behind familiarity. It means saying goodbye to people you have worked closely with. It means stepping into the unknown. That is why it takes real strength to remember why you started looking in the first place.

You reached this point for a reason. Trust that reason. Once the conversation is over, the weight lifts. The fear and doubt fade, and you can focus on the new chapter ahead of you.

The days before you resign will test you. The moment after will remind you why you did it.