My Mental Health Matters and that is why I quit my Job

I recently left a print shop job, and honestly, it was one of the most frustrating work experiences I have ever had. The work itself was manageable, but everything around it made it nearly impossible to enjoy or succeed. I left mainly because of the toxic work culture and the night shift schedule, which was not compatible with my life. Some mornings, I would wake up late after trying to drop off my daughter at school, which made the schedule extremely hard to manage.

Most of my tasks involved using the Flowmaster machine. I learned to operate it because it was required to do the job, not because it was something I cared about or thought would benefit my future. The machine broke down constantly, about 90 percent of the time, and every failure meant calling a mechanic and waiting. Meeting production requirements was almost always impossible. It was not a lack of effort or skill on my part. The equipment simply did not allow it.

The work culture made things even worse. Some coworkers seemed to enjoy seeing others make mistakes. Mistakes were not treated as learning opportunities. They were reasons to gossip, judge, and put others down. Two coworkers in particular created a toxic environment. One, who was friends with the line leader, treated others poorly without any consequences. The other coworker, whose tone and instructions were often harsh and discouraging, made it clear that she thrived on belittling people. After enduring constant bullying from her, I finally stood up for myself. While working together, she was yelling at me to check that the names match. I had enough and told her, I know what I am doing, do not talk to me that way. It was a long-overdue boundary and it felt necessary for my own sanity.

Even with all the challenges, I did what I could to perform my duties. I operated the Flowmaster machine when it worked, called the mechanic when it did not, and tried to meet production expectations. But the real problem was never the work itself. It was the combination of broken machinery and coworkers who treated others poorly while management did nothing to stop it.

This experience taught me a lot about personal boundaries and self-respect. Staying in a toxic environment with a schedule that did not fit my life was not productive or healthy. Leaving was not a failure. It was a decision to protect my mental health, my confidence, and my ability to be a good parent. I also realized what I will not tolerate in a workplace. I want a job where respect, accountability, and support are standard, not optional.

Workplace culture matters more than many people realize. You can have interesting tasks and opportunities to learn, but if the people around you are toxic and favoritism allows bad behavior to continue, it ruins everything. Equipment failures can be frustrating, but a supportive environment makes them manageable. I experienced the opposite. Broken machinery combined with coworkers who thrived on other people’s mistakes made the job unbearable.

At the end of the day, I did not leave this job because I lacked skills. I left because the environment made it impossible to do my best and the schedule was unsustainable for my life. Standing up for myself when I was being bullied was necessary, and I will take the lessons from this experience with me as I move forward in my career. If I have to work at a job where I may not work full time but will be surrounded by people who are patient with me and have a supportive attitude, I know I can learn, grow, and actually enjoy going to work. Respect and understanding from coworkers matter more than anything else, and that is the type of environment I am willing to be a part of moving forward.