From Burnout to Finding Meaning in My Work: My Journey to a Life Beyond the Toxic 9 to 5
Introduction
Many people today know the feeling of being burned out, of being constantly under pressure, and feeling undervalued. I know how it feels: this was true for me between 2008 and 2011.

My permanent job at the ABN Amro Bank, once my passion, had turned into a nightmare with a toxic senior manager, a toxic boss in a toxic work environment. My senior executive created a toxic organizational culture that undermined my own mental and physical health and that of my family members. A continued source of stress and unhappiness.
The good news: I have freed myself from it and step-by-step found my way to a life with more meaning in my work. A life as a self-employed entrepreneur. Including a healthier work-life balance, or rather, life-work balance.
Now that I have partially retired as of June 1, 2024, I decided to help people online from home and as a digital nomad in our small caravan as side-hustle. It is a good moment to look back and share practical experiences from my personal journey, pivoting my professional life and pivoting my personal life with you.
More: Mobile Entrepreneurship, Leaving The Corporate Rat Race & Book A Video Consultation With Tony
✔️ The Signals
At first, I ignored the signals caused by the management style and the way of working of my new senior manager within the new toxic organizational culture of ‘Zalm’s bank’ after the hostile take-over of the bank in 2008. His criticism, the micro-management, the unrealistic deadlines, I thought I would have enough resilience to survive him and the new organizational culture mentally and physically.
But as time went on, the physical and mental complaints increased. I slept poorly, often had headaches, suffered from back pain and felt constantly stressed. My private life and especially the relationships with my wife at that time and my two children suffered, and my relationships with friends and acquaintances soured. All signals of a burnout.
✔️ The Turning Point
On May 16, 2011, on my birthday, my personal coach urgently advised me during my last coaching session with her to officially report sick. My GP and my best friend (who is now my wife) also urged me to stop going to work and stay at home. During that period, I thought carefully about what I really wanted in my life. Both in my personal and in my professional life. I realized that working in a toxic organization, with a toxic organizational culture under a toxic boss, made me sick and unhappy and that I had to make drastic decisions to survive mentally and physically.
✔️ The Escape
Actually, it was no longer a difficult decision to quit my permanent job at Zalm’s bank after 2008 on the condition that I could do so as part of a reorganization. It was no longer my company, my culture and my management style. I knew I had no other choice. With the support of a number of trusted professionals and real friends, I finally took the step. And submitted my resignation letter as shown in the picture above this blog.
✔️A New Beginning
Instead of immediately looking for a new job, I first took the time to recover both mentally and physically from my burn-out step by step. That meant first of all that I had to break off all toxic relationships with people in my professional life and personal life including on LinkedIn as quickly as possible.
One thing was certain: I never wanted to work in or for large bureaucratic organizations as a manager or employee again. I wanted to become a solopreneur, something I had been successfully trying out since 2001 as a part-time online side job from home and as a digital nomad. Writing and selling short ebooks with and for online entrepreneurs.
✔️ What I’ve Learned
- Listen to your body and your feelings: If your body gives you signals, don’t ignore them.
- Seek support: Talk to people you can trust about what you’re going through.
- Take care of yourself: Physical and mental health are just as important as your work.
- Ask yourself what you really want: What kind of work and especially what kind of life makes you truly happy?
- Don’t be afraid of change: A different job or even better, different work, as an entrepreneur can bring a lot of positive things.
- Prepare well: For a number of reasons, including the democratization of AI, the Great AI layoff after 2022, and developments in the world in general, the number of permanent jobs is declining rapidly and the gig economy and especially the online gig economy is growing rapidly.

Finding Meaning In Your Work
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