# 178 - When a Toxic Workplace Steals the Job You Loved

Ask The Lemon Tree Coaching Podcast a Question. Text the TLT Pod today.What happens when you still love the work—but the environment surrounding it becomes impossible to love?In Episode #178 of The Lemon Tree Coaching Podcast, we explore a particularly complicated kind of workplace grief: when a toxic culture changes your relationship with a job that once gave you meaning, purpose, identity, and joy.We’ll talk about chronic workplace stress, burnout, psychological safety, loss of trust, moral injury, and the strange grief of realizing that sometimes you didn’t stop loving the work—the conditions around the work made loving it unsustainable.The World Health Organization describes burnout as an occupational phenomenon resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed, characterized by exhaustion, increasing psychological distance or cynicism toward work, and reduced professional efficacy. Research and guidance from the American Psychological Association also point to the significant psychological toll toxic workplaces can take on employees.This episode is about separating the job you loved from the environment that hurt you, grieving what was lost, and considering an important possibility:Maybe losing the environment doesn't have to mean losing the part of you that loved the work.📚 Related Reading• The Burnout Challenge — Christina Maslach & Michael P. Leiter• Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle — Emily Nagoski & Amelia Nagoski• The Fearless Organization — Amy C. Edmondson• Set Boundaries, Find Peace — Nedra Glover Tawwab• Man’s Search for Meaning — Viktor E. Frankl🔎 Additional Resources• World Health Organization — Burn-out as an occupational phenomenon• American Psychological Association — Toxic workplaces and employee well-being• American Psychological Association — Understanding workplace burnout🎧 The Lemon Tree Coaching PodcastWhere inner work meets everyday life.Disclaimer: This podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and is not a substitute for psychotherapy, medical care, diagnosis, legal advice, or individualized mental-health treatment. If workplace experiences are significantly affecting your mental or physical health, consider reaching out to a qualified professional for support.💛 Need support? In the United States, you can call or text 988 or use the 988 Lifeline's online chat for free, confidential crisis support.988 Suicide & Crisis LifelineSmells Like HumansLike listening to funny friends discuss curious human behavior.Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify