With a six-figure salary can come an extremely demanding workload and high stakes. Without a supportive work environment, it can feel difficult to manage and, in some cases, employees may have to choose between their paycheck and their mental health.
Business Insider spoke to three high-earners who left six-figure jobs to focus on their mental health: They each started their careers with high hopes of making it big in their industry, but quickly became disillusioned with the amount of pressure, grueling work days, and harsh feedback.
Their mental health deteriorated so rapidly that they were forced to quit.
Jean Kang was overwhelmed by the company’s “hustle culture.”
Jean Kang, 31, initially loved the perks that came with the six-figure salaries she earned in a variety of jobs at major tech companies.
“I’ve had tech-related perks in every role: high salary, free food, remote work, gym memberships, massages, etc.,” Kang told BI.
Kang said that despite the unique perks, he felt immense pressure to exceed expectations and outperform his competitors — a virtue of the “hustle culture” that dominated his workplace. He said he was tormented by the realization that he had dedicated his life to a job that ultimately only increased profits for large corporations.
Forced to acknowledge the vulnerability of her job amid mass layoffs in 2023, Kang saw it as an opportunity to leave a major tech company for good. She said she worked a few side jobs after work, but finally took a risk by leaving her $300,000 salary to become a full-time content creator and career coach.
“My biggest fear was failing, but I knew I would regret not betting on myself and that I could always get another job after trying this one,” Kang said.
She happily told me that her anxiety and “Sunday dread” disappeared after she became her own boss. She found her flexible, remote work experience liberating.
“I now choose projects that make me happy and don’t put too much pressure on myself to be successful. I now work 30-40 hour days and work weekends, but not because I have to. want To.”
Eric Yu suffered from panic attacks at work for six months.
Eric Yu, 28, told BI that his first two years at Facebook were spent feeling excited as a recent graduate dreaming of pursuing a career in tech, but as the novelty wore off, anxiety took its place.
Long work days of focused coding turned into long nights of worrying about what needed to be done. He stayed late to get the work done, but still received harsh criticism from his engineers. He told BI that the overwhelm manifested as panic attacks that continued to debilitate him for six months.
“It was the lowest point of my life. Every day was monotonous and difficult. I didn’t know what I was doing or why I was still working,” Yu said.
When his boss seriously questioned his work performance, Yu vowed to quit tech. He brainstormed alternative sources of income with his then-girlfriend (and future fiancée) Wanda, and after settling on house hacking, he quit his job.
“It seemed crazy to me to leave a job making $370,000 a year, and working at Meta for the rest of my life would have guaranteed me financial security, but I knew it wasn’t the right fit for me.”
He now earns passive income from real estate and spends his free time exploring what he really wants in life.
Former McKinsey employee forced to take time off work due to mental illness
A former McKinsey employee, who asked not to be named due to privacy concerns, told BI that she knew her work as an associate would be tough and that she planned to work hard to hone her analytical skills, but she didn’t expect the job to be so demanding.
He told BI he experienced a lack of guidance, excessively high standards and mean colleagues, all intertwined in horrific 16-hour shifts.
“And I went to work full throttle. I didn’t leave my desk, I forgot to eat, and I lost tons of weight,” he admitted. “I could barely remember to go to the bathroom, and only remembered to get up when I noticed my dog looking at me sadly.”
A year later, he reached his breaking point.
“It literally pushed me to the limit. I just couldn’t take it anymore. I started crying a lot and was taking higher amounts of anti-anxiety medication than I was before I joined.”
Despite his $200,000 salary, he decided to take three months of mental health leave.
During his time off work, he found it increasingly difficult to care for himself or even leave the house, and the severity of his condition became even more apparent. He decided to leave McKinsey to focus on his mental health.
A year after leaving, he said his mental health had improved and he was ready to return to work.
“As I search for a new job, I am looking for a company that values its employees, values inclusivity and treats everyone with respect.”
If you have left work due to mental health concerns and would like to share your experience, please email Tess Martinelli at [email protected].
