Leaving a job is a big decision.

It’s not always a black or white decision either. So how do you know when it’s the right time to move on? What are the signs that you’re doing the right thing?

Well the short answer is, only you know when you’ve hit a turning point or breaking point.

And sometimes it doesn’t have to be either a turning or breaking point.

Having resigned from several jobs over the past decade, I learned something new each time. Sometimes I left within a matter of days...even without a Plan B. Other times, it took years to finally take the leap.

Everyone’s situation is different.

We can’t all afford to quit a job the next day or even the next year.

But we can plan ahead and take appropriate steps towards change when we know it’s time for better pastures.

To help you make that decision, we asked a number of women who have left their jobs, switched careers, and didn’t regret a thing. A lot of it came down to three common signs.

1. Physical

Is your health is taking a toll? Our bodies communicate with us all the time. But we don’t always listen.

This could be our gut instinct telling us something isn’t quite right. Or other physical responses like frequent headaches from work-related stress.

In the past, I knew enough was enough when I started losing a lot of hair. Then there were crying spells that went on beyond Sunday blues when weekends ended.

Notice what your body is trying to tell you.

2. Mental

Often times, we aren’t aware we’ve hit a glass ceiling. It isn’t until we realize we are no longer learning from our projects, tasks, and environment.

It’s easy to get caught up in the day-to-day work routine. Thus, it may require taking a step back to evaluate a career path from a long-term perspective.

Ask yourself if your job allows room for personal and professional development. Are you bored most of the day at work? Are there trainings or courses of interest that are available to you?

If there isn’t room for growth, it may be time to move on.

3. Emotional

Having to go to a workplace you don’t enjoy can be emotionally depleting. Whether it’s a micromanaging boss or passive aggressive coworker, working even half a day with difficult people can be exhausting.

A toxic work environment can be energetically draining as well. Being surrounded by heavy energy can take a toll on a person’s mental and physical well-being.

Over the years of working in different 9-5 jobs, I’ve come across one too many hostile work environments. A hostile workplace exists when a person’s behavior within a workplace creates an environment that is difficult or uncomfortable for another person to work in, due to discrimination.

If this sounds like your work environment, it may be time to move on.

More signs it's time to move on...

We asked several women when they knew they hit a breaking point. What made them say, “Enough is enough!” Here are some of their responses:

• I looked around at my senior colleagues who were miserable and taking it out on everyone around them. I didn’t want that to be my life.
• I realized that I couldn’t handle the stress of debt and the pressure of being at one job. So I took on a side hustle which eventually became my new career path!
• I got tired of my long commute. But during the commute, I realized that the awful commute was not worth the job itself.
• I needed to have more time for myself and family. Working over 40-hours a week in a job that I didn’t enjoy led to a lot of stress. I took it out on everyone at home. It was my wake-up call to make a change.
• I was suffering from various mental issues such as panic attacks, anxiety and depression.
• I tried switching departments and job duties within my company. I was still miserable. I felt like I gave it a good try so knew I was doing the right thing by resigning.

Time to resign from your job?

Make sure you get your financial ducks in a row before you make any major moves! Trust me, I learned it the hard way.

But we'll get to the financial ducks in a bit....