From Ambition to Burnout: How I Learned to Walk Away From a Toxic Workplace
Dear readers,
There’s something I need to get off my chest—my experience working at a company that lost sight of what truly matters. It’s one of those lessons that you learn the hard way, but it’s also one that’s left me with some serious reflections about workplace culture.
From Ambition to Burnout: How I Learned to Walk Away From a Toxic Workplace I first started, I was hopeful. I believed in the company’s mission and thought it would be a place where I could grow, contribute, and build something meaningful. But that quickly changed. When a company becomes more focused on numbers than on the well-being of its employees, it creates a toxic, competitive environment that’s anything but healthy.
What they don’t tell you is that this constant pressure to perform doesn’t just burn you out—it strips away the sense of camaraderie. Suddenly, it’s not about team effort. It’s about survival. The environment becomes cutthroat, where colleagues aren’t coworkers anymore—they’re competitors. And in an environment like that, it’s easy to get lost. I quickly realized that in such a place, your value isn’t about what you bring to the table or how hard you work—it’s about meeting quotas and hitting targets.
Mistreatment isn’t just a one-off experience in places like this. It’s common. When I finally stood up for myself, I felt more like I was being punished than the aggressors who had been crossing boundaries. It was as if voicing my discomfort and asserting my rights was somehow a bigger issue than the lack of respect I was receiving. That’s the kind of environment where numbers matter more than doing what’s right, more than treating people like humans. It’s a place where you’re expected to accept mistreatment because “the numbers” come first.
As turnover continued to skyrocket, inexperienced management was placed in roles they weren’t ready for. They tried to lead with authority rather than empathy, believing that employees had no choice but to put up with their unreasonable demands. The pressure became suffocating, and the constant cycle of frustration and dissatisfaction was overwhelming.
I found myself in situations where the quality of work and personal well-being were secondary to the numbers on a spreadsheet. The lack of support from higher-ups made it clear that the company wasn’t interested in investing in its employees—they just needed bodies to fill the gaps. As management changed hands so often, it became harder to trust anyone or believe in the direction of the company.
The worst part? Feeling like you’re invisible. Being pushed to the back of the store, excluded from team moments, and being overlooked no matter how much you tried to give. That was my reality. The worst kind of loneliness isn’t being by yourself—it’s being in a room full of people who pretend you don’t matter.
Through it all, I learned that true worth isn’t about being in the right place at the right time or having a title—it’s about how you’re treated. If a company doesn’t see you as more than just a number or a cog in the machine, it’s not a place you want to be. And at some point, you have to decide to walk away, even if it means giving up the false promises of what the job could have been.
But here’s the thing—this experience doesn’t define me. It doesn’t define anyone who’s faced similar struggles. If you find yourself in a situation where you’re undervalued, unappreciated, or overworked—remember: You have the power to choose your worth. Don’t let anyone make you feel like you’re stuck. You don’t have to put up with mistreatment or let yourself be consumed by an environment that doesn’t value you.
The right job, the right people, and the right opportunities are out there. Trust yourself, trust your instincts, and know that your worth is not defined by any company or position. Sometimes, walking away is the bravest thing you can do, and it’s often the first step toward finding a space where you can truly shine.
With love, strength, and lessons learned,
Just Catrina
