Office is a very big part of our life. We spend 8 to 10 hours a day there. But when this place becomes ‘toxic’, then life becomes filled with stress. Office toxicity has a direct impact on our mental health. Getting scared of getting up in the morning and going to office, having Monday anxiety on Sunday evening, or being troubled by the politics of colleagues. If you are also feeling this way, you are not alone. It is not always in your hands to change the office environment, but it is completely in your hands to protect yourself from that environment. Here are 8 easy and effective ways to handle office toxicity and save your mental peace.
1. Build a strong wall between ‘work’ and ‘personal life’
The biggest hallmark of a toxic office is that your personal life is not respected there. It has become common to receive emails at untimely hours at night and to feel pressured by work on weekends. Learn to turn off the office laptop and notifications after working hours are over. If it is not very important, do not take office calls on holidays. Tell your seniors lovingly but clearly that you have logged off.
2. Stay away from office gossip and factionalism
In a toxic environment, people often indulge in speaking ill of others, spreading rumors or forming groups. Getting involved in this may seem fun in the beginning, but in the end it takes away your mental peace. Whenever someone is speaking evil behind your back, move away from there slowly. Just smile and say, ‘I don’t know much about this’ or ‘I have some important work pending’. By not becoming a part of gossip, you will save yourself from a lot of unnecessary drama.
3. Don’t take everything to heart
When a boss or colleague yells or misbehaves, we feel that it is our fault. But in reality, their behavior is a result of their own stress, insecurity or bad nature. In such a situation, explain to yourself that ‘this is their problem, not mine’. Don’t let their bitter words overpower your self-esteem. Listen to the work’s feedback, but listen to their personal attacks or taunts in one ear and out the other.
4. Keep a written record of your complaints and work
Toxic people are often adept at blaming others for their mistakes. Stealing credit or saying ‘I didn’t say that’ is common there. The best way to be safe is to keep written evidence of every important conversation, task and approval on email. If there was a verbal conversation, send a follow-up email immediately after our conversation saying, This is how I am doing this will reduce your mental stress because you will have proof of your innocence.
5. Create a support system outside the office
When we think about the stress of office day and night, our mind gets tired. In such a situation, you need those people who can take you out of that environment. To get out of this kind of stress, share your heart’s feelings with your family, old friends or partner. Venting out the anger at the office in front of people outside the office helps in relieving the mood. But remember, do not keep talking only about office even at home. Also discuss the happy aspects of life.
6. Learn to say ‘no’
In a toxic workplace, the workload of a person who silently does all the work is further increased. Taking on more work than your capacity leads you to burnout. If you already have a lot of work and are being given new work, then decline politely. You can say, ‘I am currently working on Project A. If I take on this new work, the quality of Project A may deteriorate. You tell me who should I give priority to?
7. Practice mindfulness and self-care
To prevent office stress from taking over your body and mind, you have to recharge yourself. Take a 5-minute break every two hours in the office, take deep breaths or take a walk. Do not eat lunch while working at the desk, rather go to a quiet place and eat it. After office, adopt some hobby that makes you happy, like listening to music, going to the gym, cooking or writing a diary.
8. Prepare an ‘Exit Plan’
If the situation does not improve even after adopting all the measures and your mental health is completely deteriorating, then understand that that place is not suitable for you to live. No job is more important than your mental peace and health. Quietly update your resume. Get active on LinkedIn and start applying for new jobs. When you know that you will be leaving soon, the stress of the current office starts to feel less because you start to see that this situation is temporary,
