Prince Harry praises people who quit their jobs to put their mental health first

• Prince Harry is praising people who quit their jobs in order to preserve their mental health.
• Speaking to Fast Company, Harry said "with self-awareness comes the need for change."
• Harry announced his step back from royal life in January 2020.

The Duke of Sussex is praising people for quitting their jobs and says it can be good for your mental health.

In a Q&A with Fast Company that was published on Monday, Prince Harry spoke about his role as chief impact officer at mental-health company BetterUp and how "The Great Resignation" ties into mental health. 

Harry said that while speaking with Adam Grant, a BetterUp science board member, he discovered that a lot of job resignations "aren't all that bad."

"In fact, it is a sign that with self-awareness comes the need for change. 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," he said.

"The Great Resignation," as its known, has seen 4.4 million people across the US leave their jobs in September 2021, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. 

While there are a number of reasons for the surge in resignations, the pandemic may be one of the greatest factors, according to experts.

"Employees are not leaving because the grass is greener elsewhere — they're leaving because they're disillusioned and unhappy," Aaron De Smet, a senior partner at McKinsey and a lead author of McKinsey research, told Insider's Rebecca Knight. "There's a huge labor force out there that's longing to be inspired."

 The Duke of Sussex's comments come almost two years since he quit royal duties. 

In January 2020, Harry and Meghan Markle announced via Instagram that they would step back from royal duties. The couple announced in February that they would not return to the royal family, marking an end to the one-year review period that had been set in place by the Queen.

Representatives for the Duke of Sussex did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.