How to Survive in a Toxic Workplace

2 years ago

As much as you love your job, sometimes you find yourself forced to survive in a toxic work environment. How do you know? Well, first of all, because you're not well, and even if you can't figure out why, you still know that something is wrong.

Attending an environment of this type on a daily basis has repercussions not only on your productivity but also on your peace of mind. After all, if you are not well first, how can you expect to achieve good results or complete your goals?

Surviving in a toxic workplace is not as mission impossible as it might seem. Even when the situation seems out of control and you feel overwhelmed by the weight of discomfort, you can rearrange your ideas and follow a few tips to be the winner. Here we suggest 10 ways, simple and effective.

Identify the problem

If you want to survive a toxic work environment you must first identify the source of this "toxicity". It is no coincidence that in the morning, when you get up, you feel a lump in your throat and you no longer want to go to the office.

And it is no coincidence that you feel exhausted and overwhelmed, if you can't even relate to your colleagues and would like to give up everything to go elsewhere. There is a reason, you just have to identify it.

In most cases, these situations depend on managers and executives who do not behave well. Being a leader does not mean mistreating your employees and does not go beyond building relationships based on mutual respect. The same thing goes for colleagues, your peers, people who sometimes try to overwhelm each other to make themselves beautiful in the eyes of the boss.

Look for dialogue

When dealing with unpleasant work situations, you should always try to maintain an aura of diplomacy. Put simply, don't jump to conclusions that could put you in a bad light with others (making everything more complicated than it already is).

A good way to survive in such a toxic and deeply uncomfortable work environment is to seek dialogue with the people you believe are the cause of your discomfort. Before pointing the finger at someone, in short, try to confront yourself and without using an accusatory tone.

Change your point of view

We can all have "no" days and periods and it is not certain, therefore, that your or your colleague behaves in a certain way out of pure meanness, or because he is angry with you.

Often people's actions are moved by unspoken feelings and emotions, resulting from stress and private situations that lead them to vent on others. By speaking in a friendly way, you may even help them solve their problems.

Check your emotions

You can't control how others behave, but you can keep your reactions to a certain behavior at bay. An essential way to survive a toxic work environment is to be able to stay calm under pressure.

This skill, which is natural for many while others have to learn to manage overtime, not only prevents the situation from escalating, but also allows you to think and act more clearly and clearly. 

Even if you know you are right and you are sure that raising your voice at that moment is the right thing to do, stop and think. Excessive emotion at work (as in life, in general) can backfire on you. And by then it is too late to repair the "damage".

Contact human resources

At the extreme, if everything you have done (see above) has not been helpful in surviving the toxic work environment you have found yourself in, perhaps you should rely on those who deal with these problems for a living.

The company should have a person (or even more) who takes care of managing the staff, also from the point of view of human relations and focusing on problem-solving. Those who deal with human resources are like the missing link between employees and the boss, who often does not physically live everyday situations and cannot actually notice if something is wrong.

But remember that even in this sense you must try to keep a measured approach, without pointing the finger or accusing anyone. Instead, try to build a complete picture of the situation, so that it is clear which problems are to be solved.

Propose ideas and solutions

Regardless of the size of human resources at the company you work for, the manager is most likely a busy person.

So if you want your problems solved as soon as possible, it will make a big difference to present you with some new ideas and possible solutions to propose to the company to address and eliminate this toxicity in the workplace. 

Think about what changes in values ​​or policies can promote a healthier and more collaborative work environment. Then present them as suggestions.

Avoid being part of the problem

Toxicity can be contagious. When someone is bullying and arrogant towards you or even spreads lies about you, the first reaction is to let off steam. Maybe talking bad about that person with other colleagues.

Here, this is an attitude that you should carefully avoid if you care about surviving in a work environment that is already toxic and deleterious in itself. By fueling the "gossip" and backbiting about someone, you only increase the toxicity of the environment in which you work. And at that point, it doesn't come out.

Take advantage of the "paper" of productivity

If talking, staying calm, seeking constructive dialogue, and keeping emotions at bay, including having turned to the appropriate office, have failed to resolve the situation, take the "hard way".

The leader is not a mythological and unreachable being who lives on Olympus from which he observes everyone from afar. You can try to play the productivity "card" with him.

As a boss, it is obvious that he is a person who focuses on the results of his company and the performance of his employees. Therefore it is not a completely evil idea to talk to him (in a polite and not rancorous way) about the problems, putting the question on the level of lack of productivity.

Don't keep it all inside

One mistake you should never make when you find yourself stuck in a toxic work environment is to keep it all inside. As we have said, it is not fair to let yourself go into tantrums or ranting towards your colleagues, which does not lead to solving anything.

But on the other hand, you should never even pretend that the problem does not exist because, dear desperate worker, there is a great truth to keep in mind: toxic people find fertile ground precisely because no one ever tells them anything.

Addressing problems is the first step in solving them. And rest assured that a person not used to being "called into question" will be struck by your peaceful words. And maybe it will stop.

Create your happy space

We can try so many tricks and ways to survive a toxic work environment, but the truth is only one: you have to look towards yourself because you cannot change people.

So try to create a safe and positive work environment for you, both when you work from home and when you go to the office. Make sure you have order, harmony, peace around you and surround yourself with objects and things that arouse positive emotions and feelings in you.