#straightfromcait: Struggling After Returning to Work? How to Tell If It’s Burnout or a Bad Job

You did the healing, took the break, felt better. So why does going back to work feel like a total relapse?

Cait Donovan tackles a common (and confusing) moment in recovery: feeling like you’re right back where you started after returning to your job. She breaks down how to tell if the workplace is toxic, a bad fit, or simply triggering habits you haven’t had a chance to practice in that environment yet.

With honesty, Cait shares a three-step process to help you figure out what’s really going on, so you can stop blaming yourself and start responding with more intention and self-respect. This episode is a reminder that burnout recovery isn’t about doing everything perfectly. It’s about learning to live, and work differently, one small step at a time.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Introduction

02:12 Why Practicing Recovery Skills at Work Matters

03:05 How to Identify a Toxic Workplace

05:13 Toxic vs. Bad Fit: Knowing the Difference

06:26 What a Bad Fit Can Teach You

09:05 Why Old Habits Resurface at Work

12:07 Three Steps to Assess Your Work Situation

13:32 Final Thoughts and Community Invitation

Links

Connect with Cait:

Cait Donovan is a keynote speaker, author, and host of FRIED: The Burnout Podcast, specializing in burnout, mis/match, and sustainable performance at work. She partners with corporate leaders, teams, and professional associations through keynotes, workshops, and leadership sessions that treat burnout as data, not failure, to help organizations reduce burnout without blame or shame and build healthier, high performing cultures.

To bring Cait to your organization or event, book an inquiry call here: https://bit.ly/bookcait

Learn more about Cait’s speaking work: https://www.caitdonovan.com/speaking

Short on time? Watch this 3-min video: https://bit.ly/caitdreel2025

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm