More than once during my PhD, I considered quitting. There were periods where I spent days troubleshooting my instrument without success, felt overwhelmed by the number of tasks, or completely drained by my daily 3h-commute. More than once, I found myself sobbing in the toilets, wondering whether I simply wasn’t smart enough for a PhD and whether leaving would be the right choice. I thought about alternatives, about other paths my life could take. For me, that alternative was working in a pharmacy – which was the path I had escaped by choosing to embark on a PhD journey. Eventually, I stayed and graduated – supported by my great team of supervisors, mentors, and colleagues. Yet I never spoke to my supervisors about these doubts. It was only later that I realized that this silence wasn’t helping me nor academia in general.

‘What if I quit?’ still feels like a forbidden question in academia. We rarely talk about PhD withdrawal or the moment someone decides to leave. There’s an unspoken assumption that if you’ve started a PhD, you should finish it – which makes sense, as PhD students are often funded by project-based money. Yet the truth is that many PhD students – probably far more than we realize – have contemplated quitting at some point. Most of them stay silent about it, often being ashamed of having these thoughts or afraid of being judged by their supervisors. That doesn’t surprise me, as academia still operates with an underlying message: you should feel grateful for this rare opportunity, and walking away would be foolish.

So what do you do when you start questioning whether you should continue? Here are a few tips that will help you navigate your doubts, and take the best decision for you and your career.

• Take your time. Quitting your PhD is not a decision that needs to be rushed. If you’re seriously contemplating leaving your PhD, take your time with that question. A few months of careful thinking seems logical for a decision that will impact your life. Slow down. Resist the urge to decide impulsively when you’re in crisis mode or burning out. Give yourself space to think clearly.
• Research before you decide. You know intimately what you would be leaving. But do you know what you could find instead? We’re often paralyzed by decisions involving change because we fear the unknown. The grass might not be greener, but you won’t know unless you look. Research the jobs and careers available to you with your current skills and experience. Talk to people working in those fields. Understand what your alternatives actually entail, not what you imagine them to be.
• Talk to your mentors. Seek out trusted advisors – whether they’re your supervisor, other professors, or senior colleagues. Ask for their perspective on your situation. However, be very careful with the advice you receive. People naturally frame guidance around their own experience (‘If I were you, I would…’). Their path is not your path. Their tolerance for stress, their career goals, their circumstances – they are all different from yours. Listen to multiple viewpoints and gather information, but remember that only you know what’s truly best for your life.
• Find your peers. There’s a good chance that many of your more senior colleagues have stood where you stand now. They’ve thought about quitting. Some have done it. Most of them simply never talked about it. There’s no reason to be ashamed of these thoughts. Reach out and share your doubts. You may be surprised how many people understand exactly what you’re feeling.
• Get professional support. Universities typically have resources specifically for this – academic advisors, counselors, or psychologists who can help you untangle what you’re feeling. If you’re genuinely lost about what to do, use these services. Some universities also have occupational health services or company doctors; they too can provide perspective and support during difficult decisions.
• Reframe what leaving means for your CV. This is the worry that often keeps people trapped: What will it look like if I don’t finish? Here’s a different way to think about it: you are a researcher. Whether you complete your PhD or not, you have done research. You have learned skills – critical thinking, project management, communication, resilience, and yes, courage. Someone who leaves their PhD has skills that are directly transferable to many careers. You’re not abandoning a failed attempt; you’re stepping away from a specific path while carrying forward genuine expertise. This is a story you can tell with honesty and confidence.

There is no universal answer to the question ‘Should I quit my PhD?’ That answer is shaped by your values, your health, your circumstances, and the life you want to build. But you do not have to decide while in survival mode. Take the time you need, and gather the information and support around you. And remember that whatever you decide – to stay and push through, or to leave and pursue something else, it’s a legitimate choice. It’s your choice and your own life.