Did you ever notice how leaving a job can resemble the long, painful breaking up of a romantic relationship?

You know you're breaking up with your job if...

1. You go through the various stages of grieving.  Denial, anger, depression, resentment, bargaining, acceptance--not necessarily in that order. Many people get stuck in bargaining.

• "It's Time to Break Down" - The Supremes (2002, The 70's Anthology)
  
• "Move" - Sol Seppy (2006, The Bells of 1 and 2)
• "What a Fool Believes" (Cover) - Self (2000, Gizmodgery)
  

2. If your current iTunes playlist was a person, it'd look like this.

• "Give Me a Moment" - The Long Winters (2002, The Worst You Can Do is Harm) 

3. The self-help books your mother (and Oprah) keep recommending are actually helping.

• "All the Right Things" - The Sheds (2007, You've Got a Light)
  
• "Don't Take It Personal" - The Spinto Band
  

4. You're spending a lot of time in quiet solitude. Possibly knitting. Watching a lot of Sex and the City. Either that, or you're drinking yourself into a stupor.

• "Bodies and Minds" - Great Lake Swimmers (2005, Bodies and Minds)
  
• "Moving Furniture Around" - The Handsome Family  (1994, The Secret Life of Things)
• "Gotta Get Out" - The Bicycles (2006, The Good, The Bad and the Cuddly)
  

5. When you're finally ready to face the facts (that little stage called "acceptance"), you find yourself humming triumphant "I don't need your sorry ass" anthems.

• "You Don't Own Me" - Dusty Springfield
• "Go Your Own Way" - Fleetwood Mac