When your job slowly drains you: The rise of ‘quiet cracking' in South African workplaces
We've all had those weeks at work where we feel a bit 'off' like we're treading through sinking sand just to answer emails or make it to meetings.
But when that sense of dread, disconnection or exhaustion quietly lingers, it might be more than just a rough patch.
You could be experiencing what's now being called 'quiet cracking' - the slow emotional unraveling that often goes unnoticed until it becomes too overwhelming to ignore.
For many South African workers navigating tight budgets, heavy workloads and limited career growth, the struggle is all too real.
Unlike full-blown burnout, quiet cracking is harder to spot, both in yourself and others, because you're still showing up and going through the motions until one day, you just can't anymore.
Imagine a plate with tiny cracks. It still works, until eventually, under pressure, it shatters.
That's what's happening to many employees across the country who are slowly breaking down behind the scenes, often unnoticed by management or even themselves.
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