The Night I Left My Toxic Job—And the Peace That Followed
- kira Bennett
- May 28
- 2 min read
There’s a moment when you realise the job isn’t just exhausting—it’s eating away at who you are. For me, that moment turned into a decision: I quit. (They will say that the probation period showed that I wasn't the right candidate for the position, but in truth, I wasn't the person to be micromanaged. Equally, when this was raised with higher up management, they chose to ignore it - told to work collaboratively, and that's how it's always been. Explains why the position has had 3 people in the same number of years! And, the next victim will be hired and the cycle will continue!)
I had already written my notice and had already decided I was going to quit. I didn’t just walk away from a paycheck; I walked away from bad leadership, broken promises, and the toxic environment that had kept me anxious and drained for far too long.
What happened next was instant relief. Yes, overnight.
We don’t talk enough about the mental health cost of staying in places that break us down. I’m talking about the kind of jobs where management is disorganised, communication is passive-aggressive, and leadership is more concerned with control than with culture. If you've ever worked under piss-poor management, you know what I mean. The weight lifts the second you’re no longer under their thumb. That’s not just freedom—it’s survival.
I didn’t leave without a plan, though. I had something solid to fall back on: Bennett Business Partnerships. That decision to build something for myself—something real, something mine—was the best damn step I’ve ever taken in my life.
With BBP, I'm not just working—I am creating, building, leading, and collaborating with people who respect each other. It’s not just business; it’s sanity. It’s being surrounded by minds that move forward, not managers stuck in their own ego trips.
And here’s the promise I’m making to myself—and maybe you’ll feel this too: I will never work for weak leaders again. Not the type who scapegoats their staff. Not the kind who promote chaos to mask their incompetence. Not the ones who treat people like cogs instead of humans.
If I ever hear the words produce, produce, produce, and the entire focus is on how to run staff into further stress modes, then I will be the person to tell you that your business will absolutely crumble. People need to be your focus.
If the operation team are not producing enough, it's not because you now need to run the team over 24 hours, it's because you need to hire more staff, train them and value them.
If you're stuck in a toxic workplace, hear this: you’re allowed to leave. You’re allowed to choose peace. You’re allowed to bet on yourself. I did—and overnight, my mind began to heal.
So here’s to better days, to bold moves, and to never settling for less than leadership that inspires and empowers.
Believe in yourself!
Take chances and seek out better opportunities.
Understand your value.
I’m not going back. You don’t have to either.
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