Steps to Take When Unhappy at Work

There's a lot of privilege in telling people to leave a toxic work environment. It's easy to do when you have a big financial cushion, no one counting on your income, or family to fall back on. But for the majority of people, that's just not the case. 60% of Americans live paycheck to paycheck, including 40% of high income earners. So for most people, simply leaving a bad job with nothing lined up, AND losing their eligibility for unemployment is just not an option. Especially when we're in a tough job market where many are spending 6+ months on their job search. So if you find yourself in a toxic work environment, my suggestions are to: 1. Figure out if there's anything you can change to make it better - are there allies who can help you problem solve around the areas causing challenges? Can you pursue a transfer to another team? 2. Reflect on your role in things. I know this isn't going to be a popular statement but it's often a two-way street and there may be things that you as an employee are doing to contribute to the negativity - do you need to take time off or process some bad experiences to help you show up as the best version of yourself? Are there people thriving in the environment that you can learn from? 3. Start preparing yourself now for a tighter financial situation - pick up a side hustle, cut unnecessary expenses, cut back on retirement contributions (temporarily!) and put that money into savings. Build up a cushion so it's there should you need it. 4. And while you're at it, if you think you're to leave anyway, max out those benefits...don't leave money or PTO (if they don't pay it out when you leave) on the table. 5. Start your job search while still employed - start applying for jobs and let trusted people in your network know you're looking, get your resume updated, get that LinkedIn profile working for you. 6. If you've done everything you can to make things work at work and there's no viable pathway to making it work, then do the bare minimum required to keep it as sustainable as possible for you, and minimize negative impacts on your mental health and well-being. And let them terminate you - that way, you're eligible for unemployment. They can't legally disclose this information, so you don't need to bring up that this is why unemployment ended. I even know people who have managed to initiate conversations with HR and exit with a severance package and unemployment eligibility. Of course this isn't a fun topic to talk about. I would love for everyone to be able to walk away from a job when it's not working for them. But that's just not reality for most people.

Let’s stop shaming someone for leaving a toxic job under one year. Your mental health means more. Let’s also quit saying "at least I have a job" while being mistreated. You’re enabling a toxic workplace to keep being toxic. A hard truth I've learned from years as a career coach: The "grateful to have a job" mentality is toxic abuse disguised as wisdom. Recently, I worked with April who was crying in our session because her boss yelled at her in front of the entire team for the third time that week. Her response? "At least I have a job in this economy." I helped April create a simple 3-step exit plan: ✅ 1 // Calculate your true cost of staying. Add up therapy bills, stress-related medical costs, and career stagnation. April realized her "stable" job was costing her $8,000 annually in stress-related expenses plus countless missed opportunities. For real. ✅ 2 // Build your escape fund aggressively. Cut every non-essential expense and save like your mental health depends on it. We set up automatic transfers so April saved $1,200 monthly. Within 4 months, she had enough runway to quit without another job lined up. ✅ 3 // Document everything and set a firm exit date. Stop hoping things will improve and start planning your departure. April kept detailed records of every toxic interaction and committed to a 6-month exit timeline regardless of having another offer. The result? She quit with 5 months of expenses saved, took 3 weeks to decompress, then landed a remote role paying 30% more with a manager who actually respects her. The unfortunate reality is every day you tolerate abuse, you're showing that employer it's acceptable to treat humans this way. Remember: Your gratitude for employment shouldn't include accepting degradation as a job requirement.

May is Mental Health Month. So, let me ask: How are you doing? Seriously. How are you REALLY doing? I speak to so many clients who wait too long to make a change. They endure difficult and demoralizing work climates, hoping that things will get better. While they wait, their confidence is eroded, making a job search that much more daunting. Please, don't let this happen to you. No job is worth your mental health. If you: ➙Don't get any satisfaction in your work ➙Routinely deal with people who are difficult ➙Do the work of 2 people (or more!) ➙Lack the resources to do your job well ➙Get no support from your direct supervisor ➙Are bullied or taken advantage of by co-workers ➙Find it difficult to muster the energy for your workday Then, your mental health is at risk. That is not okay! Here are 6 strategies to take care of yourself: 1️⃣ Map Your Triggers ↳ Document specific situations that drain you ↳ Track when your stress peaks ↳ Notice when you are withdrawing or in conflict 💡Action: Make adjustments where you can, based on what you learn 2️⃣ Create Non-Negotiable Boundaries ↳ Set firm work hours for yourself ↳ Block "recovery time" in your calendar ↳ Turn off notifications during deep work 💡Action: Communicate these changes with key people 3️⃣ Master the "Strategic Pause" ↳ Take micro-breaks (2-5 minutes every hour) ↳ Use lunch for actual lunch, not more work ↳ Practice quick breathing exercises between meetings 💡Action: Put these items in your calendar and set alarms to take care of yourself. 4️⃣ Control Your Controllables ↳ Organize your workspace ↳ Structure your day around your energy peaks ↳ Focus on what you can influence, not what you can't 💡Action: This is a habit. Keep coming back to what’s in your control when frustration builds. 5️⃣ Build Your Support System ↳ Connect with trusted colleagues ↳ Consider tapping into your Employee Assistance Program ↳ Look into professional counseling 💡Action: Ask for help, even when it makes you feel uncomfortable. You are worth it. 6️⃣ Prepare to Make a Change ↳ Activate your network and have casual conversations to test the waters ↳ Update your resume and your LinkedIn profile ↳ Build a list of target companies and research your options 💡Important Point: These steps aren’t a decision to leave. But, they will make it easier and quicker if you decide to do so. Reminder: Your mental health is non-negotiable. Protect it fiercely. 🎯 What's your best strategy for maintaining mental health at work? Tell us below! ♻️ Repost to support colleagues who might be struggling 🔔 Follow Sarah Baker Andrus for more career and workplace strategies