Why do people regret handing in their notice at work?

I’m featured in the May 2026 edition of Stylist Magazine talking about something many women experience after leaving a job but rarely admit out loud, the second-guessing.

Not because the decision was necessarily wrong.

But because our nervous systems often struggle with uncertainty, visibility, risk and identity change long after the resignation letter is sent.

We can be conditioned to believe good career moves should feel clean, confident and empowering. In reality, many exits come with a strange emotional cocktail of relief, grief, anxiety, freedom, guilt and self-doubt.

A few things I shared in the piece:

💡 Sometimes you’re not grieving the job you are grieving the future version of yourself you had hoped might exist there.

💡 “Did I jump too soon?” is often your threat system searching for certainty, not evidence you made a mistake.

💡 Women are frequently socialised to brood over our behaviour after the event. Was I too direct? Too emotional? Too ambitious? Did I burn bridges? We often take responsibility for dynamics that were never ours to hold.

💡 Feeling like an imposter can masquerade as “being sensible” or “realistic”, when it might be fear trying to pull us back towards what feels familiar and safe.

💡 The question is not always whether the grass is greener. Sometimes it’s whether you have outgrown the surface you were standing on.

I also spoke about emotional regulation, psychological safety, identity shifts, and why second guessing may intensify during periods of professional transition and visibility.

One of the most important things I’ve learned personally and professionally is that a highly activated nervous system tells very convincing stories. This doesn’t automatically make them true.

The full article is in this month’s Stylist magazine, and you can read it here.