When it comes to toxic people we should be working to avoid them at all costs but in this day and age that is not an easy thing to do. Toxic people are quite prominent in this world and the more you try to avoid them the more they seem to seek you out.
While toxic people are not always aware of their toxicity it is quite present and cannot be ignored. The more you allow them presence and power within your life the harder it will become to cut ties and move on as you should when this kind of situations occurs. Toxic people can come in a wide range of shapes and sizes so really narrowing things down is easier said than done.
Toxic people are people who bring us down and make us emotional. They leave us feeling quite drained when we’re forced to face them, and we are not usually able to help them in the ways that they want us to. Some of them might be controlling and pushy while others are always playing the victim and acting as if the whole world is out to get them.
If you have to maintain some kind of contact with someone who falls under the category of ‘toxic’ you should limit that exposure as much as possible. When it comes to co-workers and family members being away from them and engaging as little as possible is crucial when it comes to your own well-being. You can keep your distance properly if you’re really willing to work at it.
Below you will find a list of tips for working to limit exposure when it comes to these kinds of people. These things will help you to regain your power and keep it. Sure, toxic people can have good intentions but those intentions can do serious damage if they’re not presented as they should be.
9 Tips For Dealing With Toxic People:
1. Don’t let them shove you into any drama.
Stop letting this toxic person push you into the things that they’re doing or facing. You are not an extension of who they are, you are your own person. They can’t just keep placing you in the middle of all of their drama. If it’s about someone else or has to do with gossip, stop wasting your time hearing them out.
2. Focus on taking care of yourself above all else.
Before you consider doing anything for this toxic person make sure that you are taken care of. If helping them is hindering you, stop doing it. At the end of the day, you are all you truly have and you shouldn’t be forcing yourself to fall behind to get someone else ahead. That’s not how life is supposed to work, period.
3. Stop spending more time with or around them than you have to.
If you don’t have to be near this toxic person, don’t be near them. Hold your own and close yourself off. There is nothing wrong with saying no or turning down their invitations to hang out.
4. Do not dismiss their wrongdoings, call them out.
Stop letting things go so easily. If they’ve done something wrong they need to be called out. While there is a way to go about doing this you should not forget to do it. You can’t let them keep getting away with every little thing they do time and time again.
5. Stop giving into this person, you are not their ‘maid.’
Say no when you feel like no needs to be said, because you are not a slave or a maid. You are a human being with a life of your own, go live it.
6. Know when to walk away.
When this person is getting worked up or dragging you down, you don’t just have to stand there and take it. Stop discussing things and just walk away. There is nothing wrong with removing yourself from a situation that is bringing you down.
7. Set your boundaries and make sure you’re being clear about them.
This person does not and should not get free reign in your life. Set clear and proper boundaries with them and do not let them cross. You are important and letting them walk all over you time and time again will get you nowhere.
8. Do not keep trying to please them.
Stop working so hard to make this toxic person happy. If they really cared about you, they would see the effort you place forth. You don’t owe anyone in this world anything and you need to keep that in mind.
9. Remember that trusting this person is not possible right now and that trust has to be earned.
Trusting this person might be something you want to be able to do but that doesn’t mean it is something you should do. Unless they’ve proven that you can trust them you shouldn’t. Trust is meant to be earned, not given freely and broken for no reason.
Sources:
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/cell-block/201905/dealing-toxic-people