4 Lessons After Leaving a 9-5 Job That You Can Apply to Your Corporate Life

It’s been 2 months since I stepped away from the corporate world.

Time has FLOWN by at racing speed. And I’m still trying to wrap my head around the unexpected effects of my decisions.

At the same time, so much has shifted for me since then. That version of me seems like a lifetime ago.

The biggest shift I’ve noticed is how much more of my life I live in the present moment, awake & aware. In my “previous life”, even on the best days I never realized how much of my life was on auto-pilot.

Mindlessly scrolling social media on the train downtown. Wasting time browsing the internet between meetings. Pointless “mandatory” meetings. Small talk & commiseration with work acquaintances.

When you cut that shit out to do more of what lights you up, it’s shocking at how much extra time you have on your hands. If used wisely, your mindfulness practice will take a quantum leap.

The other big shift is that my creativity is at an all-time high. I attribute this to a few factors which I will get into in a bit. But ever since I left, I have been bursting with ideas, with energy, with hunger to learn & grow. Non-stop.

I’ve lived most of my life 10 minutes late and 3 hours short on sleep. Both of these relatively-recent shifts have been a revelation. Life’s not easy when you’re exhausted & constantly dashing between meetings, events, obligations. Giving a two weeks notice was emotionally challenging, filled with nervousness and the complexity of explaining my reasons for leaving, especially without having a new job lined up.

You might be thinking, “Well that’s great, Bree. Of course things shift when you don’t have to show face in your office 40, 50, 60 hours a week.”

Trust me, I hear you. Yes, I have a lot more time on my hands, in theory. In reality, my days are now more productive than they ever have been before. This was something I didn’t anticipate.

I read more & watch TV less.

I sleep more & scroll Instagram less.

I practice gratitude more & stress less.

But as I’ve continued to evolve, I had one huge realization. Many of these shifts accelerated in the past couple months. But they actually started at my corporate job.

Motivated to change by the pain of despair, I actually started taking things into my own hands months ago. Knowing that I’m not the only one desperate for a shift, I’d like to share my tips with you so you can get started too.

Breaking Free from the Corporate Grind

Breaking free from the corporate grind requires a deep understanding of one’s motivations and a willingness to take the first step towards change. For many, the initial spark is a growing sense of dissatisfaction with the monotony and lack of fulfillment in their 9-5 job. This can manifest in various ways, such as feeling undervalued, unchallenged, or simply unfulfilled. As the desire for change grows, it’s essential to take a step back and assess what’s driving this desire. Is it a need for more autonomy, a desire for creative expression, or a quest for better work-life balance? Identifying the root cause of this desire is crucial in determining the next steps.

Explore the motivations and initial steps taken to transition away from the corporate environment, setting the stage for the lessons learned.

One of the most significant initial steps is to start exploring alternative options. This can involve researching different industries, networking with people in desired fields, or even taking on a side hustle to test the waters. It’s also essential to start building a support system, whether it’s a mentor, a community of like-minded individuals, or a trusted friend or family member. Having a support system in place can provide the necessary encouragement and guidance to navigate the transition.

Create space

At the baseline, it’s simple. Find time every day to sit with yourself, no distractions. Put away your phone, turn off the TV, sit or lay down alone without doing anything.

This practice will look different every day for every person. For some people, it will be one minute of deep breathing in the morning before the kids get up. For others, it will be 10 minutes of a guided meditation or journal prompt before bed. Others might have an hour-long non-negotiable morning ritual.

The key is that you do it, and you do it with as much consistency as you can. Once you are able to consistently give yourself one minute a day, try to go up to two minutes. The more space you can find, the better.

My journey started a couple years ago as a New Years resolution during a stressful time in my life. It was a 20-minute morning ritual, done 5-6 days a week. I did a 10-minute guided meditation and then spent 10-min free writing in my journal. I don’t know where I’d be today without that simple practice done consistently over years.

Learn how creating physical and mental space can lead to greater clarity and productivity, even within the confines of a 9-5 job.

Space gives you time to process everything that happens in day-to-day. Space allows those great ideas to spontaneously pop into your head. Space attracts creativity. Space gets you to the root of what you truly want in life. It helps you piece together the vision of your ideal future.

Is it a need for more autonomy, a desire for creative expression, or a quest for better work-life balance? The challenges of obtaining health insurance as a self-employed individual can also be a significant factor.

As the desire for change grows, it’s essential to take a step back and assess what’s driving this desire, including the potential impact on your bank account due to financial burdens.

Having a support system in place can provide the necessary encouragement and guidance to navigate the transition. The internal struggle of wanting to explain your motives but choosing to keep your mouth shut due to fear of judgment is common.

Prioritize filling your cup

I am someone who constantly has to work on creating boundaries for myself. Otherwise I give away all my energy to anyone and everyone I meet. I love that empathetic part of myself because it helps me be an amazing coach and mentor.

It also meant I was constantly trying to live an overextended life on an empty fuel tank. On top of that, working in advertising, or any client-service industry, can be depleting. I was hesitant to create boundaries because I thought my work would suffer. When I started to make changes, I had to deal with the wrath of my workaholic manager. But over time, it didn’t matter. It turns out that once I started prioritizing myself, my work excelled and my team noticed.

I started declining last-minute meetings scheduled during my only lunch break. I said no to the random tasks that didn’t serve the client (or me). I tried to leave as close to 5pm every day as I could. For the most part, I stopped checking email late at night and on weekends.

Discover the importance of self-care and well-being, and how prioritizing these can enhance your work-life balance.

Space gives you time to process everything that happens in day-to-day. Creating space is a great idea for achieving consistent productivity. I don’t know where I’d be today without that simple practice done consistently over years. From my personal experience, the support from friends and family has been invaluable. Their encouragement, without soliciting them for business, has allowed genuine support to flourish.

I fought hard to protect my hard-earned free time. I fought to protect it so that I could fill that time with the things that DID fill up my cup. It brought me more joy. By taking care of myself, I was able to bring more impact, and more creative solutions, into the office every day.

Customize your schedule to fit your own business

Many people think that in a corporate job, your company and your manager “buy” your time during the workday. For the most part, this is true.

Those people also believe that they have zero control over their time during the day. This is NOT true.

One of my favorite tips is to structure your workday in a way that is best for your optimum work.

Understand the value of tailoring your daily routine to better suit your personal and professional needs.

Are you most creative in the morning? I want you to literally block that time off on your calendar every day and try to hold that time as sacred. Sure, you may have to take a meeting here or there on occasion, but hold it as tightly as you can.

Personally, I am a textbook introvert. I need a healthy mix of alone/quiet time to balance the more interactive, larger meetings. Each week, I blocked my schedule so I would only have about 3-4 hours of actual meetings on my calendar each day. I prioritized being my best self in each of those meetings.

On top of that, it challenged my prioritization practices in the best possible way. I was constantly asking myself, “Does this really have to get done today?” Many times the answer is No. This practice help with my energy levels, and it helped mitigate some of the overwhelm that can occur.

I fought hard to protect my hard-earned free time by developing a business model that attracts repeat clients. It brought me more joy. Avoiding stupid mistakes in business decisions is crucial to maintaining this balance.

Live as authentically as you can in all facets of your life

From a young age I was taught to be a completely different person at work than I was in my personal life. Professional Bree and Authentic Bree were two different people. This programming stemmed from our parents approach to the workplace. Before the Internet and such.

I mention this because if I was programmed that way, countless others likely have two versions of themselves as well.

I’m here to tell you that it doesn’t have to be that way. In fact, it’s better for your health & well-being if it isn’t that way. It’s stressful to live a double life.

This is not permission to share every detail of your wild Saturday night with all your boss. And some industries require much more discretion than others. In advertising, the rules of the workplace are more slack than they are in most places and people tend to share TMI. There is a wide spectrum, without a doubt.

I challenge you to live & act more authentically, no matter which environment you are in.

Open up a little more at work. Share your hobbies. Be more direct than you think you should be. Show some vulnerability. Invite your teammates and coworkers to do the same. Be more you, in whatever way you can be.

One of my favorite tips is to structure your workday in a way that is best for your optimum work. While passive income can be attractive, it often requires a significant amount of work and time before one sees results, so it's important to balance your efforts wisely.

Each week, I blocked my schedule so I would only have about 3-4 hours of actual meetings on my calendar each day. Running your own business allows you the autonomy and flexibility to design your work environment, choose your clients, and create your own rules, which can lead to increased happiness and life satisfaction despite the challenges.

Now, I imagine the lessons after leaving a 9-5 job continue to pour in as my time away from the grind continues. I hope that this was a helpful start for those of you currently still working in the corporate world.