Giving in your notice without another job?

[Furrybaby]

I currently work in what feels like a toxic environment with no senior management support.
The work pressure is horrendous and I feel set up to fail all the time. My management never offer support or solutions but will find a way to call me most days and make me feel like a failure (for not completing stuff that they couldn't complete in this job).
I cry most days either on the way to work, at work or on the way home (or all 3). I can't ever switch off and sometimes I get palpitations on a Sunday at the thought of going back.
Discussed this with my husband recently and there are only two options as far as I can see.

1. Hand in my notice and look for other jobs (I've started looking recently and applied for a couple). I have a 3 month notice period and a financial buffer of 2-3 months after. I also worry about 3 month notice period could put off potential employers.
2. Go off sick. But I worry a few weeks of sickness would affect my future employment.

I just feel so trapped right now which is making the whole situation feel worse.

What would you do? Anyone done similar?

Hi @Furrybaby how's things? Sorry to hijack your post but I'm curious to know how this worked out for you as I am in a very similar position to you. I retrained to get into the built environment sector, which I was really excited about after years stuck in a dull role with no progression. It took me a while but I applied to loads of jobs took a job I was offered, which looked good on paper. 8 months on, it's awful. Ridiculous pressure, expectations and unsupportive management, constantly feeling like I've been set up to fail with impossible deadlines etc. And the worst thing was they extended my probation for taking too much time off when my mum died and shortly after, my partner had a traumatic miscarriage. I have stuck it until now but starting to feel burnt out and angry, sleepless nights and panic attacks. I've would love nothing more than to walk out. Plenty of savings too, so we could manage for some time, but all these tales of how bad the job market is have put me off.

Hand in your notice, you have 6 months buffer. Be prepared to take on casual work in the event you can't find something concrete for a while.

Where are you based? Can you look into casual hourly rate work as a back up for 3 months time. Care work, home help etc.

3 month notice periods are common these days, so that shouldn't put recruiters off.

You know you can manage for notice + 2 or 3 months. What would you do if you didn't find a job in that time? It's a tough market out there, particularly in some fields, so you might need a backup plan.

Get onto recruiters, update your CV and LinkedIn profile and start looking. I was in a similar position last year, 5 months into s job (and that after 16 months out following redundancy, so reserves were low,) and expected the process to take months, but here I am, 11 months into the first one I applied for, so fingers crossed you'll be as lucky.

I could have written this post…..in a high pressure work environment where they talk about having good culture bla bla. They have accommodated my flexible working request & workplace adjustments but the workload is enormous. I’m constantly been critsised for not doing the role of planning the teams work for the next year or so - but I spend my days just ensuring the current work is delivered and firefighting issues every day - stuff the my manager is too busy to notice.
wake up dreading work and things are soo bad that I almost envy my friend with breast cancer as she can spend time at home off sick - that alone I think is a sign i need to quit or go on sick leave - the trouble is i will never go back if I go on sick leave. Everyone else there (bar one or two who I have confided in) seems mostly content but then no one has any idea of how. I feel…

how did things work out for you @Furrybaby - hoping you are in a better place.