“Quiet quitting” in marriage describes spouses who remain together and fulfil practical responsibilities while reducing emotional effort, communication and involvement. Relationship therapist Lisa Brookes Kift says a lack of arguments can sometimes signal avoidance rather than harmony, allowing unresolved feelings to undermine emotional safety and eventually leave one partner feeling hopeless.

Kift says attachment styles and early experiences of trust and emotional needs can shape how people react to marital distress, with avoidant partners potentially withdrawing into themselves. Warning signs may lead to “parallel play”, where spouses coexist without meaningful engagement; repair requires both people to re-engage, beginning with a safe, caring conversation before emotional detachment becomes entrenched.