9 TikTok Videos to Watch If You’re Trying to Leave a Toxic Job

Updated 1/24/2023
person lying down on their bed holding a cell phone and looking at the screen
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You might need some words of encouragement, some inspiration, or a reminder that you won’t be swimming in this toxic cesspool until the end of time.

One of the most difficult things about being in a toxic work environment is finding the motivation and the means to get out of it. Trying to succeed or work or even merely exist in a toxic job or while reporting to a toxic boss has a tendency to sap every ounce of your physical, emotional, and mental energy.

You might decide to say “eff it” and quit, here and now, to give yourself the space to begin recovering and searching for a healthier situation. Sometimes that’s the very best call for the sake of your mental health. But peacing out without a plan or a safety net isn’t always an option. Instead, you might have to do some legwork up front to set yourself up for an exit.

Either way, you might need a few words of encouragement, some inspiration, or a reminder that you won’t be swimming in this toxic cesspool until the end of time. Sometimes that might come in the form of written advice or stories—the kind we at The Muse have seen so many folks gravitate toward in recent months. Other times, you might need to see it and hear it. So I turned to TikTok to surface nine videos that might help.

“The powerful quote that finally got me to leave my toxic job.”

@jennakgreco Drop a YES if are ready for change. #corporatetiktok #9to5life #corporatemillennial #careercoach #careertok ♬ original sound - Jenna - Career Coach

“I feel like a weight is literally lifted off my shoulders.”

@tthatstylerj I quit my job in tech ✌🏿 #iquitmyjob #techtiktok #toxicworkplace #techtok #blackwomenintech #leaveyourtoxicjob ♬ BREAK MY SOUL - Beyoncé

“I got a job offer today.”

@jsstewart727 No better feeling than this!! My mental health always will come first 🤍 #fyp #mentalhealth #toxicjob #micromanagers #buhbye #resignation ♬ Lofi - Domknowz

“I am so much happier.”

@hyphygrandma Reply to @ivotheterrible ♬ original sound - Lisa Yuri | DIY & Fiber Artist

“I’m feeling like myself again.”

@jenniferbrick have you had a toxic job? how did it feel when you escaped... #career #toxicjob #corporate ♬ Life of Kylie_Feeling Like Myself - Peacock TV

“How I feel leaving a toxic workplace…”

@amraiykbarrie #nursestruggles ♬ Royal Fanfarei I - East London Chorus & Paul Ayres & Locke Brass Consort

“Many more people should be leaving their jobs.”

@garyvee You aren't wasting anything by leaving a cancerous job. You're wasting your future by staying #quityourjob ♬ original sound - Gary Vaynerchuk

“It’s OK to fire your job.”

@careergodfather If you’re stressed out at a toxic job you should fire that job. Your mental health is irreplaceable. #careertiktok #toxicjob #careertok #careeradvice #careercoach #90dayjoboffer #careergodfather #hrjobs #mentalhealth #jobsearch #toxicjobcheck #leaveyourtoxicjob #jobtips ♬ original sound - COACH T 💫 Tim Whitehead

“Freedom at last.”

@_ohalondra freedom at last 🥳🥳🧐 #fyp #countdown #dentalassistant ♬ Celebrate the Good Times - Mason

Read more on The Muse’s “toxic aware” landing page.

Photo of Stav Ziv

Stav is the former deputy editor of The Muse. Before The Muse, Stav was a staff writer at Newsweek, and her work has also appeared in publications including The Atlantic, The Forward, and Newsday. Stav earned a B.A. in history with a minor in dance at Stanford University and holds an M.S. from Columbia Journalism School. She won the Newswomen's Club of New York's Martha Coman Front Page Award for Best New Journalist in 2016. She prefers sunshine and tolerates winters grudgingly. You can find her on LinkedIn and Twitter and can visit her website here.

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