Are you feeling stressed? Frustrated? Dread going to work?
Is your day spent dealing with toxic people, processes, or work culture?
It’s not easy, and not a nice way to spend your days.
What is a toxic environment?
Any environment where you don’t feel safe, valued, or respected.
We all play our part in making the organisation we work for a success so whatever your role, and wherever you sit in the hierarchy, you deserve to be treated with dignity and respect.
Other signals of a toxic environment may include micromanagement, lack of progression or development opportunities, or an expectation that you regularly work beyond your contracted hours. Also, when it’s acknowledged the workload is consistently too heavy but nothing is done about it.
Toxic environments are usually a result of poor leadership where there’s a lack of competence, care, or positive example. Unfortunately, some people end up in leadership positions that don’t want it, have never developed to be there, overdose on power, or are just self-serving their own ego.
Whatever the situation, it’s difficult and can negatively impact our mental and physical wellbeing so, what can you do?
Protect yourself
- Identify the source of toxicity. Once you know the route cause, you can better prepare yourself to mitigate your exposure to it and the impact.
- Learn to say “no” – sometimes you need to do what’s right for you
- Develop boundaries – work is what you do, not who you are so keep it contained, for example, be mindful of the hours you are working.
- Document what is happening – as soon as you start to notice something isn’t right, start keeping track of what happened, and when. Hopefully you won’t need to call on it but, it’s better to be prepared.
Find a support network
Know who you can turn to for support and guidance, for example;
- Colleagues in the same environment
- Friends and family
- Employee Assistance Programme
Look after yourself
You are responsible for you, you can’t control others or what happens but, you can control what you do in response. So make sure you;
- Sleep – being well rested will help you handle any situations you face
- Eat well – eating junk is easy and comforting when when you’re angry, upset, or frustrated, you’ll feel better in the long run if you don’t.
- Exercise – get outside, go for a run, go to the gym, whatever it takes to release some endorphins. When you really don’t feel like it, is exactly when you should.Meditate – ten minutes of deep breathing and mindfulness can work wonders
- Journal – grab a notepad, app or whatever works for you, spend a few minutes each day writing about how you’re feeling. Be sure to include three things you’re grateful for.
“The Titanic was surrounded by water,
but it only sank when it let the water in”
Do things that make you, you!
If it makes you smile, do it. Spend your time on:
- Hobbies and interests
- Experiencing new things, and creating memories with the people you care about the most
- Doing something you’ve been meaning to do but have put off because you’re too busy, too tired, or too stressed – you’ll feel better for taking control and doing something for you rather than being affected by things you can’t control.
Don’t let them in
- Toxic bosses, co-workers, and environments are difficult to put up with day-to-day but remember, you’re paid to do a job, so perform your function as best you can and leave it at that. Don’t let the toxic weight impact your life, especially outside of work hours. Learn how to switch off from work and move on with the rest of your day.
- Remember, the titanic was surrounded by water, but it only sank when it let the water in.
Make like a tree…
As Biff said in Back to the Future, “make like a tree, and leave…”
OK, you’ve got commitments and responsibilities so can’t just walk away, but what you can do is begin your exit strategy.
- Update your CV – there’s loads of support available online if needed
- Update your LinkedIn profile (if appropriate)
- Think about what you want to do and set up relevant job searches – LinkedIn, recruitment agencies etc…
- Develop your interview capabilities – many people are put off applying for work because they dread interviews, do some research and learn how to approach interviews with confidence.
- Don’t switch off too soon, or get too hung up on leaving quickly, otherwise you’ll find you start to get anxious because you’re focusing so much on the future, you’re forgetting to look after yourself in the here and now.
Toxic workplace cultures and people can be draining but with time, care, and a little effort, you can get the better of the situation before it gets the better of you, remember, if you think you can, you will.
Have you experienced a toxic workplace? What other tips would you add to the list?
Think Can Will 