#82: Spring Cleaning 6 of My Most Toxic Work Habits
Not everything belongs in storage. 🗑️
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Spring Cleaning 6 of My Most Toxic Work Habits
Lately, I’ve taken spring cleaning very seriously. Like, full-on “Goodbye, jeans from 2016 that haven’t fit for almost a decade” serious. I donated or sold six bags of clothes. I cleaned out cabinets. I emptied drawers I didn’t even know opened. I tossed expired teas, forgotten receipts, and a mysterious lotion that used to smell like citrus. It’s been satisfying—getting rid of what’s stale to make room for what’s next.
And as I was clearing out the literal clutter, I started thinking about the other stuff I’ve been carrying. The habits. The reflexes. The internalized work drama that’s still living rent-free in my brain. So I decided to do a little emotional spring cleaning too.
Some of these habits have been with me for decades. Some were hardwired early. Some are leftovers from toxic jobs, toxic bosses, and the hustle culture is my religion era of my 20s and 30s. But I’m trying to clear them out—one dusty belief at a time.
Here are a few I’m finally ready to toss in the bin:
1. Overworking Like It’s a Personality Trait
In my 20s, overworking felt like a power move. I wanted to be the person who could do everything and still respond to an email in 0.3 seconds. But burnout is sneaky. One day you’re “crushing it,” and the next you’re crying because you got the wrong salad order. Overwork isn’t a flex. It’s an addiction. And it’s really hard to quit once it becomes ingrained.
It’s been over two years since my last corporate job, and I still have to coach myself out of guilt spirals when I take a full day off. Or a nap. Or a Tuesday. I remind myself: Rest isn’t laziness. It’s repair.
2. Immediate Overwhelm Syndrome
This one’s fun. I get a new opportunity, and my brain instantly goes:
"Can I do it? Am I good enough? Will I figure it out? What if I fail in front of people? Should I flee the country??"
It’s not logic—it’s anxiety dressed in a blazer. And it comes from a need to be perfect out of the gate. I always figure it out. I always get through the messy middle. Now, when the panic hits, I say:You don’t have to know everything now. You’ll figure it out as you go. Which, coincidentally, is also how one puts together IKEA furniture.
3. Letting Scarcity Drive the Car
Making decisions from a place of fear is the fastest way to end up somewhere you don’t want to be. I’ve taken jobs out of panic. I’ve said yes to things that looked good on paper but felt off in my gut. Gut is usually right.
Now when I’m making a decision, I pause and ask:
Would I want this if I weren’t scared? Would I want this if I weren’t worried about paying my bills? If the answer is no… that’s the answer.
4. Trying to Prove My Worth
Oh, this one. My old friend. The inner compulsion to earn every compliment, every dollar, every ounce of space I take up.
It’s that Annie asking Daddy Warbucks if she should start by cleaning the windows or the floors energy. Like, no girl, you’ve been adopted by a millionaire during the Depression! Go enjoy the mansion! But I’ve been programmed to believe I need to hustle for love, labor for praise, and “earn” rest.
These days, I’m working on showing up not to prove myself—but to be myself and offer value from that place. Still hard. Still worth it.
5. Saying Yes to the Wrong Work
I used to say yes out of politeness. Or fear. Or because something seemed easy and landed in my lap. But “easy” and “right” are not the same thing.
When I think back on the jobs that drained me the most, they were almost always the ones I said yes to from a place of meh. I wasn’t excited. I didn’t believe in the mission. I doubted myself, so I settled. Sadly, it took me until my 40s to realize that saying yes to what you really want isn’t selfish. It’s necessary.
6. Picking Up Everyone Else’s Slack
Let me take you back: I was 22, pursuing an acting career, working at a quirky but popular jewelry and gift shop in L.A. in the evenings with co-workers who spent more time flirting, and gossiping, and drum circling than unpacking inventory. Guess who ended up unpacking most of the boxes? Me. I thought being the “responsible one” would earn me something: a raise, a reputation, a gold star. I was eventually promoted to manager, but that’s not the point.
The point is, that’s my vibe. And I carried that energy into every job since—volunteering to do the extra project, staying late, managing the interns, sending that meeting invite.But here’s what I’ve learned: No one remembers who unpacked the boxes. They just expect you to keep doing it. Now when I feel the urge to over-function, I say: Everyone gets to unpack their own boxes. Including me.
Spring cleaning is about clearing space—not just in your home, but in your habits. I’m making room for new ways of working. For more joy, more ease, more alignment. Less martyrdom, less panic, less proving. And if any of this resonates with you? Maybe it’s time to grab a metaphorical garbage bag and start sorting.
Some habits were never meant to come with us into the next season.
Worthy Time Wasters
Here are my recs to combat doom scrolling.
My spring cleaning energy is spilling over into my watch/listen/read queue, and honestly? It feels great to finally cross some stuff off the “I’ve been meaning to get to that” list.
📺 I’m finally diving into Severance Season 2 (Apple TV+). It's been so long since Season 1 aired that I had to read multiple recaps just to reorient myself—because every single moment in this show is layered, coded, and intentionally weird.
As for new stuff: I checked out Long Bright River (Peacock), a crime series based on the book, and A Body in the Snow: The Trial of Karen Read (MAX), a true crime docuseries. Both had potential… but ended up a little underwhelming for different reasons. (Message me if you want to compare notes.)
🎥 The fact that I—a musical theater nerd and former Broadway insider—just watched Wicked (Peacock) this weekend is… embarrassing. But worth the wait. 10/10, no notes.
Also watched My Old Ass (Prime), which has been sitting on my list forever. It’s beautiful—equal parts funny and emotional. Big “laugh-cry while texting your best friend” energy.
🎧 Next up in my queue: Ronan Farrow’s new true crime series, Not A Very Good Murderer (Audible Original), which takes place near my hometown. Can’t wait to dig into this one—I love a local scandal.
📚 I tore through Show Don’t Tell, Curtis Sittenfeld’s new short story collection. Sharp, observant, and exactly what I wanted.
And I finally pressed play on Jessica Simpson’s memoir, Open Book—which she narrates herself. It’s been on my list forever and it did not disappoint. I will now hear Jessica saying the word “sit” (pronounced “set”) in my head for the rest of my life.
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