The morning alarm rings and when you wake up you wish it was a bad dream but you realise it’s going to be just another day working with negative colleagues. You probably hate your job but you cannot leave at the moment as you have financial commitments. You might not be able to find another job right away so you have to remain patient in a workplace that you don’t like. Some days feel like you’re drowning and overwhelmed with emotion in dealing with toxic colleagues in a negative environment. This blog post is for you if you are working with negative colleagues that are constantly complaining, spreading lies, backbiting, and bosses who abuse their power. You don’t have to lose your sanity in a toxic environment as there are many ways to maintain your confidence and remain calm whilst you are looking for another job and transition out of the bad situation.
You are stronger than you realise and you can deal with adversity in any situation.
Here are 9 tips to help you stay calm, connect to your inner strength and maintain your confidence in a toxic workplace:
- Start a self-care routine: It’s important to take care of your health and stay positive when you are working with negative people in toxic environments. Speaking with negative colleagues can deplete your energy levels. Learn to take care of yourself so you don’t experience burnout. There are many things you can do to spend quality time on your own and relax your mind. For example, you can go for a walk after work, spend quiet time alone meditating, reading or whatever makes you feel happy. Looking after yourself is a priority as stress can affect your body, feelings and behaviour.
- Start a journal: When everything around you seems to be falling apart, the one person you can always count on is yourself. Writing in your journal everyday can be a good way to process your emotions and put things in perspective. Reading your previous pages can help you realise that you are a strong confident person that has already achieved so much in life.
- Happy friendships: Surround yourself with happy positive people, find your tribe outside of work and get involved in fun activities. If you attend a local church, a great distraction from negative colleagues at work can be to volunteer for the community. If you are able to help people that are less fortunate than yourself, then the problems in your life will seem insignificant. Keep an open mind, share ideas, the point is that you remain positive. Your positive energy will lift others to a better place and your negative colleagues will realise that no matter what they do to distract you and bring you down, you remain strong connected to your inner strength.
- Focus on your goals: Create a list of goals for your future so that you have something to work towards. You now have the experience and you know that being in a toxic workplace is not working for you. You can choose to move forward or stay stuck, the choice is always yours. Start a plan of action to look for a positive workplace where you can use your talents to contribute and make a difference to the company and your future.
- Get enough sleep: If you feel stressed at work, feelings of anxiety might prevent you from getting quality sleep. Avoid caffeine after 3pm, try a relaxing bath and turn off your phone, social media at least half an hour before bedtime. Try some meditation or gentle yoga exercises before bedtime and drink some warm milk with cinnamon or any plant-based milk of your choice.
- Practice gratitude: Organise a routine in your mornings for some quiet time before going to work and think of three things that you are grateful for in your life. Write them in your journal and appreciate that you are alive to start a new day. Every day is an opportunity to start a new story in your beautiful life. Accept everything, forgive yourself and forgive others and realise that everything is temporary and you hold the power to change your life.
- Positive affirmations: Practice positive affirmations in the morning and before you sleep as this will help you to remain focussed on all the positive in your life. The words we think and say are a vibrational frequency, and whilst you cannot change the negative people and situations in your life, you can change your thinking, positive thoughts will raise your vibration and help to attract positive situations in your life. For example, always start affirmations in the present tense. Here are a few affirmations from my favourite author Louise Hay: I am divinely guided and protected at all times. I always work with and for wonderful people, I love my job.
- Maintain confidence: It can be a challenge to stay confident when you are surrounded by negative people. Make friends with positive colleagues and form a support network. If you are able to go for a walk outside during your lunch break it can help you feel better. Take regular breaks from your screen if you work in an office and if you start feeling stressed in the negative environment, learn breathing techniques to help you cope during the difficult moments.
- Expect more: One of my favourite motivational speakers is Tony Robbins and he says, “If you do what you’ve always done, you’ll get what you’ve always gotten.” If you are not happy in your job, start creating your plan to change your situation. Everything takes time but it all starts with one small step forward and the next and before you know it you have changed your life. You can improve your life when you expect more, raise your standards to become more than you are and realise that you don’t have to play small to please everyone all the time.
MOVE FORWARD
Keep doing your best in your job and never lower your standards to fit in with the crowd. You are so much more and realise that you deserve to be in a workplace where you will feel appreciated and you can use your knowledge and talents to contribute to your success. Once you are in a new job or career and you have had some distance from the previous toxic workplace you can begin to see things differently and you will be able to know that you made the right decision. You are not a failure and it’s not your fault that you have to leave but there are many opportunities waiting for you in a positive environment with positive people. Congratulate yourself for coming this far and for having the patience and strength to deal with the negativity. Don’t be afraid to take risks and try new things when the time is right to move forward. It is your choice, you always have options and it’s only a matter of time before you change your life. Never give up.
“Cutting negative people from my life does not mean I hate them, it simply means I respect me.”
marilyn monroe