Is Your Workplace a Toxic Environment? Part Two
In the first part of this blog, we look at some of the tell-tale signs of toxic behaviour and how people who are guilty of it are allowed to get into the workplace unnoticed. This time, we will look at some strategies to combat it effectively.
Probably the most crucial thing is to recognise that when you realise you are working in a toxic environment is that it is the behaviours you are reacting to are not a reflection of who you are. Often in a toxic workplace, there is plenty of tearing others down, passive-aggressive leadership, destructive gossip, conniving politics, and abundant negativity. When you are surrounded by this daily, it can really start to affect your own self-worth. It is vital that you learn to take an objective perspective and separate the negativity you are swimming in daily from the reality of who you truly are. It is probably fair to say that this demoralising effect is the biggest danger to staying long-term in any toxic environment and to combat this, you will have to dig deep and find ways to daily remind yourself that you are not a reflection of your current surroundings.
Placing positive and uplifting quotes on the wall of your office or cubicle that will help keep your spirits lifted can be very helpful in these circumstances. Also, taking time out each workday to take a short walk by yourself is a fantastic way to detach and allow for positive self-talk to remind yourself of the qualities you possess that make you amazing. Find ways to remind yourself of who you truly are. Needless to say, in our post-COVID reality, many of us have been able to completely sidestep this toxicity by working from home.
Another important coping step is to realise that you cannot control what other people say and do; you can only control your own actions and reactions. The sooner you accept that, the better for your own mental wellbeing. This realisation allows you to let go of owning other people’s negative behaviour, and it empowers you to focus on improving yourself.
If, after all this, you still find yourself drowning in a toxic environment, there is always one other solution. If your strategies do not work or if you have had a conversation with your manager that ends with your concerns unresolved, then you need to plan how to remove yourself from the environment. Although it may be tempting to quit immediately when you hate your job, make sure that quitting will not put you into an even worse position. Our advice would be to plan ahead and not to resign before you have secured a new job or have sufficient savings to sustain yourself. And when you are trying to make change happen rapidly out of desperation, survival mode, you tend to not go to something that is even better. It is different, but not better. So, we would always recommend you start working on your exit plan. And sometimes, your exit plan may take six months to a year but start working on it so you can get to an environment that is better for you mentally and emotionally. This exit plan includes making sure your resume is right up to date. If you have not visited your resume for some time, it is definitely worth making sure your skills, achievements and latest roles, as well as your qualifications and references, are all up to date. That way, if something comes up suddenly, you will be ready. Also, it is always much easier to get into a new job if you are currently employed, so do not leave it too long.
The more you can focus on improving yourself in a toxic environment, the better, because when you finally get the opportunity to escape the situation you are in, you will get to take all the personal growth you have made along with you. No doubt that growth will help you to be even more successful as you move forward.
Remember, it is not normal for you to constantly be left feeling stressed or unhappy by behaviour in the workplace, and you do not have to accept it.
