Home Adulting Quitting Your Toxic Job: 4 Steps You Should Take

Quitting Your Toxic Job: 4 Steps You Should Take

Picture this: you’re sitting in your car in the parking lot of your workplace, ten minutes before the clock hits 9. You feel a mixture of emotions—hopelessness, dread, anxiety, and fatigue. How much longer do I have to keep doing this? You say to yourself. Ruminating on how and why you ended up here. You might even ruminate on what got you here in the first place; if the offer looked good at first, if you just wanted an end to the job searching, if you truly had no other choice. Or even worse, if you did have a choice, and you turned down other offers for what would eventually become the most toxic job experience of your life.

Sound familiar? 

If it does, you’re not alone. This is the reality for many people who suffer in toxic workplaces. It’s an experience many of my friends and I have shared at some point in our lives, and some are still struggling with it even now. It’s a hard truth to swallow, but sometimes working in a toxic environment can cause more harm to your body than the stress of potentially being unemployed. So if you find yourself stuck in your car, dreading the moment you have to step through the doors of your workplace, it’s time to start making your exit plan.

Here are some steps you can take to ensure your departure is as smooth and worry-free as possible:

1. Build your safety net.

This is possibly the most difficult part of the process, but also the most freeing. Going back into the job search can be incredibly daunting, but with every submitted application to new roles, more weight will be lifted off your chest. Every single application gets you one step closer to having a solid safety net: a new job to transition to that will make the departure process much easier. In the meantime, build up your savings and start budgeting for a possible period of time where you may be out of a job.

2. Detach yourself mentally.

Whether you’re in the sort of place that requires you to put in two weeks or the sort of place you can quit on the spot, it’s a good idea to leave before you physically follow suit mentally. This will take a lot of stress off you and minimize any harm that could come your way as a result of your departure. Internalizing the fact that this job is not permanent and that you won’t be there much longer will take a great weight off your shoulders.

3. Reach out to your network.

Leaving a job is a huge lifestyle change. Your friends, family, and peers are not only important emotional stabilizers in your life, but also can provide essential pillars of support for your job search. Don’t be afraid to ask people for help—if it’s as small as looking over your resume, or referring you to open roles they might know of. Take advantage of your network! Just be sure to pass on the good deed when it comes back around to you, and make sure your connections know how much you genuinely appreciate their kindness and support.

4. Be kind to yourself.

You’ve been through a lot, and now you’re taking actions to get yourself someplace better. It’s often understated how much bravery it takes to leave a toxic job—because truthfully, it’s easier said than done, and any step towards a healthier environment deserves to be celebrated.

While the job market is tough and unforgiving at times, protecting yourself and your mental health should always be at the top of your priority list. Now the next time you find yourself stuck in an unhealthy environment, you’ll know what steps to take to leave it.

Featured image via Yan Krukau on Pexels

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