Should I leave my job without another one?
Leaving first can create breathing room, but it also removes income and can change your negotiating position. The decision is about runway, risk and what you need to change.
Check your runway
Estimate essential monthly spending, available cash and realistic time to find another role. Separate a comfortable plan from a worst-case plan.
Consider the alternatives
Could you take leave, reduce hours, change teams, search quietly or set a firm exit date? An alternative that solves part of the problem may reduce the downside.
Know what would change your answer
Write down the conditions that would make leaving sensible and the conditions that would make staying temporarily sensible. That turns an emotional decision into a testable plan.
Work through my decision