Earlier this year, I quit band, after playing for years. This was a decision that recieved a lot of backlash. For too long, quitting has been misunderstood. Many see it as an admission of defeat. A move made by the feeble and weak, those who are not strong enough to man through adversity. It is frowned on.

However, it is becoming increasingly clear that those are all fallacies, really nothing more than simple-minded generalizations that ignore deeper rooted reasons. Quitting is not making excuses, it is being productive, being intelligent, and it is prioritizing yourself. It is a normal part of life.

This is especially true now that we are living in a current age of mental health candidness and increased support. Mental health must be prioritized above everything else.

Jennette McCurdy, Nickelodeon child star from iCarly and Sam & Cat, recently detailed in her 2022 memoir, I’m Glad My Mom Died, how she quit acting after her mom died because of the extreme stress and anxiety she faced and how she had eventually grown to resent being an actress.

In the 2020 Tokyo summer Olympics, 24 year-old Simone Biles withdrew from her finals to focus on her mental health. While many were supportive of her decision, she faced extreme backlash from those who thought she was overreacting, that her anxiety was an over exaggeration.

Both celebrities faced criticism from masses of people who had never experienced what they were going through and could never possibly relate to exactly what they each were experiencing.

What it comes down to is: is what you are doing your happy place? Unpleasant challenges are part of life, and to be clear- I am advocating for mental health, not laziness.

But if you are directly responsible for your own involvement, and it either really hurts or really doesn’t matter, why stay.

If something- a job, club, class, or anything else- is unequivocally not your happy place, then there is simply, absolutely, utterly, no reason to continue.