Prince Harry Praises People Who Quit Jobs That 'Didn't Bring Them Joy'

Prince Harry is praising those who quit their jobs in order to preserve their mental health.

The Duke of Sussex — who stepped down from his role as a senior member of the British royal family last year — told Fast Company magazine in a recent interview that the surge in job resignations during the pandemic isn't "all bad."

"In fact, it is a sign that with self-awareness comes the need for change," Prince Harry said while promoting his mental health-focused startup BetterUp. "Many people around the world have been stuck in jobs that didn’t bring them joy, and now they’re putting their mental health and happiness first. This is something to be celebrated."

The subject was brought up when the royal was asked about the company's strategies to address the increased burnout and job resignations that were "accelerated" by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Prince Harry explained that while the pandemic brought these struggles and issues to the foreground, they "have been brewing for quite some time."

"We’re just at the beginning of the mental health awakening," he added. "This work has never been more important because people are finally paying attention, and a big component of this mission is building awareness and continuing to pioneer the conversation."

In the same interview, Prince Harry talked about his work as chief impact officer at the mental health company, a role he first took on in March.

According to the royal, he has been focusing on driving advocacy and awareness for mental fitness and guiding the company's social mission and impact. The Duke of Sussex also said that he has been helping expand BetterUp’s global community of thought leadership, coaches, customers and members through "outreach and strategic planning."

For Prince Harry, his work at BetterUp aligns with his longtime goals and advocacies. But he said his role at the company has allowed him to "be louder about the mission, reach more people and generally share with more of the world why doing the work associated with mental fitness is so important, and how helping others reach their peak performance positively impacts the whole world."

On Monday, Prince Harry also released a new blog — co-authored by co-founders Alexi Robichaux and Eduardo Medina — about his progress with BetterUp and his goals as chief impact officer.

The prince wrote that BetterUp teamed up with his grandmother Queen Elizabeth's charity, Queen's Commonwealth Trust (QCT) — which provides assistance and funding to projects of youth advocates throughout the Commonwealth — to offer 1,000 young leaders free access to BetterUp’s full coaching platform.

According to Prince Harry, the collaboration helped the young leaders gain "tools for resilience and mental fitness that will be with them for life and will help to accelerate their impact on the world."