I’ve been out of Starbucks for about 6 months now. My mental health has improved dramatically over that time. I saw coworkers who I cared for get absolutely crushed on a daily basis while also regularly experiencing fairly intense breakdowns myself. The expectations that were set on us everyday were wildly unrealistic. It is the least important job I’ve ever had but it was by far and away the most difficult and stressful. It was a perfect breeding ground for toxicity. I was frequently made to feel bad about myself by customers and supervisors alike. So often that my vision of myself had almost completely deteriorated. The stress of the job and the treatment from others brought out sides of myself that I did not know were there. Because of Starbucks, I now know my capacity for anger, resentment, and self-hatred. My distance from that place has allowed me time to acknowledge the source of these emotions and take a step back from them. I’ve slowly been able to allow myself to feel positivity, love, and self acceptance.


Sorry for the random rant. I've just been reflecting on this a lot lately and I felt I needed to broadcast some thoughts.