It’s been one of those days. You’ve been toiling away on a project you don’t care about for weeks when your coworker dismisses everything you did in front of your boss. This, after they refused to help, lounging at their desk, shopping on Amazon. You tally the satisfaction that work provides you, and it scores zero. You want to quit, but it’s hard to discern if you want to abandon your job or the field entirely.

This feeling of wanting to run can be common. In 2021, the United States had the highest quit rates in 20 years. Employees cited crappy pay, no opportunities for advancement, and overall disrespect as reasons for their leaving. A 2022 study performed by Gallup found that worldwide, 60% of folks were emotionally detached from their jobs. Nineteen percent reported being outright miserable.

While job dissatisfaction can be fleeting, many of us can remain at a job we despise for years without making a move, especially when we can’t figure out if we just dislike the gig or the entire occupation.

We asked three experts how to know the difference and when to make the jump:

TAKE YOUR TIME

Many of our parents worked at the same jobs their entire lives, but today, it’s fair to give a job a year or less before peacing out if it’s not a good fit, says Ebony Butler, a psychologist and creator of My Therapy Cards. “Once you get an understanding of what the job is, you can evaluate it from a good place of objectivity.”

Before leaving a job or field, ask yourself why you want to leave and why now, advises career expert at LinkedIn Catherine Fisher. “No one loves their job every single moment of every single day, but if you feel like you’re struggling more days than not, it could be time to switch things up. Ask yourself if there are ways to improve areas of dissatisfaction, and what would make you happier.”

The goal is to not do anything impulsive, but to seek to answer the question of “is it the people and the processes around you that are frustrating you—or is it the nature of the work itself?” says Ranjay Gulati, a Harvard Business School professor and the host of the Deep Purpose podcast. How much of your dissatisfaction can you attribute to “your boss, your colleagues, and the work environment and culture of the place you work for? And how much of it is intrinsic to the actual task you are doing?”

DREAM BIG

Before making a move, ask yourself these questions: What do you value in a job or occupation? Flexibility? Community? The ability to travel? Helping others? Distance yourself from any expectations pushed upon you by your parents, by society, or by fate, and ask yourself, if you could do anything for a living, what would you do?

“One of the things that is the main culprit of us staying in jobs is our inability to dream,” says Butler. “The world is set up in a way that makes you think that you have to have your career figured out by a certain age and certain time, so by the time you get there, you’ve stopped dreaming.”

QUESTION DISTORTED THINKING

Many of us hold onto warped views on what it means to succeed, often echoing our parents’ voices. If we want to quit a job, we call ourselves lazy. This gets exacerbated when you don’t trust your own judgment, because you’ve made brash decisions in the past. “A lot of times our confidence is wiped out by things that happened to us in our lives,” Butler says.

She recommends reminding yourself that it’s okay to strive to be happy. Then ask yourself, what is the worst thing that could happen if you did quit? “If it doesn’t work out, I can always go back to being there,” she says. “Nobody can take away my credentials and experience.”

EDUCATE YOURSELF

Before leaving a job or career, talk to others who have explored new career paths and jobs, especially if they come from a similar background as you. “Get some wise counsel,” says Butler. “These decisions don’t have to be made in a vacuum.”

Look to the experts in the field you’d love to be in, and see if your skills line up with theirs, says Fisher. “You’ll get a sense of the problems they’re trying to solve and the skills needed to solve them.” Even if you aren’t able to leave your current job or field immediately, you can always take steps toward a more satisfying future, attending classes at night to learn the skills that will help you reach your goals. Adding new skills will make you more attractive to hiring managers no matter where you end up.

JUST DO IT

Reaching the point where you are willing to walk into the unknown is a wonderful gift, Butler says, one that will only expand your confidence after you make the leap and realize it was possible.

Be careful not to burn any bridges. Pause licenses and keep credentials in check. “Always leave on a positive note and check back in with your connections once in a while, as you never know who might end up being a helpful resource if [and] when you want to transition back to your former industry,” Fisher says. “The relationships you build today will carry you throughout the rest of your career.”

There might even be opportunities to switch careers at your current job site, says Fisher. Ask if you can simply tweak your role. “If you test the waters with a new industry and find that you liked your old one better, there’s nothing wrong with pivoting back,” says Fisher. “Remember, your career is a long game, and it’s all about the skills you gain along the way and how you can leverage them for your next play.”