by Kaley Blair, CMWN Volunteer
Recently, I started a new job with a brand new title. As with any new job, I was excited, nervous, and eager to see what was set out for me. The first few days were stressful with new faces, the learning curve I needed to overcome, and balancing my self-care routine with my new work schedule. Personally, working has always been a struggle and I’ve worked out with my therapist that I need to have a strong foundation of self-care in order to stay safe and healthy. As weeks went by I found that my new position started to take a toll on me. I kept to positive thinking, but unfortunately you can’t control what’s outside of yourself. I looked to my coworkers for support, but with no avail. A few more weeks went by and my position at work didn’t get better and I started to notice my personal signs when I am not healthy start to emerge. At this point it was time for action and the end result my support system and I came up with was this: quit my job. As I write this, it seems so simple; however at the time all I could think of was “I’m giving up so easily”. It wasn’t until a few days later after a particularly bad day at work, where I broke down in front of my boss and customers, did I realize how far I’ve let this go. I have now left the position but I didn’t go empty handed. What I learned from this situation is that there’s a difference between giving up and knowing when you’ve had enough. I learned that it’s okay to say goodbye if it’s not right for you. I know I am not a quitter and I know what’s best to keep me healthy, those are things we all need to hold on to.