Local Man Enters Quiet Quitting Phase of Marriage

“I’m still showing up, just not emotionally,” he says while reheating leftovers.

By Staff Relationship Expert

New York, NY — After seven years of what he describes as “gainful romantic employment,” local husband Mark Daniels has announced that he has entered the quiet quitting phase of his marriage.

“I’m still technically married,” Daniels told reporters from the couch, “but I stopped going above and beyond around year five. I hit all the basic KPIs — dishes, trash, birthdays — but I’m not volunteering for extra shifts of emotional labor anymore.”

According to sources close to the couple (mainly their group chat), Mark’s wife, Rachel, first noticed the shift when he began responding to emotional check-ins with corporate jargon.

“I asked how he was feeling,” Rachel said, “and he said, ‘Let’s circle back after Q3.’”

Relationship experts have confirmed the growing trend of domestic disengagement, where partners remain physically present but spiritually on mute.
Dr. Helen Cafferty, a marriage therapist and self-proclaimed Love Economist, warns:

“When someone starts using terms like ‘scope creep’ to describe intimacy, it’s time for a performance review.”

Friends report that Daniels now clocks in daily with a routine consisting of minimal eye contact, neutral grunts, and a carefully maintained 3.5-second hug limit. “It’s about work-life balance,” he explained. “My love output plateaued, and I refuse to be exploited for passion overtime.”

Rachel, meanwhile, has responded with her own strategic initiative — Quiet Thriving — defined as “finding joy in spite of his energy audit.” Sources say she recently began leaving motivational sticky notes around the house like “Remember feelings?” and “Your emotional firewall is blocking love.”

Despite mounting tension, the couple maintains optimism. “We’ve scheduled a one-on-one with our couples therapist,” said Rachel, “assuming he doesn’t send an out-of-office reply.”