6 Healthy Ways To Deal With A Toxic Work Environment

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We spend one-third of our day at the office. The time we spend at the office can have a great impact on our lives and our mood after we get off from work. If you feel that knot in your stomach each time you step into the office, you’re probably stuck in a toxic work environment. Since quitting is not the option, you need to learn to handle your current situation and take care of your mental health.

Stay out of the work negativity

People bring negativity to the workplace and it’s those people that make it a toxic place. When you associate with negative people, you start to feel their negativity and adopt it as your own. If they constantly nag about things at the office or gossip, you’ll be easily caught up in their drama and negative emotions. 

If you want to stay out of the negativity, limit your interaction with these people. Create your own boundaries and focus on work-related interactions with these people. Even if they stop by at your table and start spreading their negativity, don’t let it bother you and kindly ask them to come by later since you have a lot of work to do.

Adopt a positive mindset 

Even if you’re surrounded by negativity, it doesn’t mean that you have to succumb to it. Adopt a positive mindset and create a positive workspace. Surround yourself with things that make you happy – a picture of your family, a picture of you and your dog as a wallpaper. Get a new coffee mug with a motivational slogan on it.

Work on the way you respond to your current work environment, and even fake it until you can adopt a truly positive mindset. Start by writing a list of positive things about your work and remind yourself every day that there are still some positive things. Put your focus on the positive in order to tune out of the negative.

Keep yourself focused 

Tune out and don’t let other people business disrupt your focus and ruin your productivity. We’ve already said that negativity is just background noise and with the right tools you can silence it. Invest in a quality pair of noise-canceling headphones. If your work allows this, you can easily tune out with headphones and finally get your focus back.

Music can even stimulate you further, calm your nerves and increase your productivity and efficiency. Try listening to soft jazz or any other music without lyrics because lyrics can shift your focus. Wearing big, chunky headphones can even become your do not disturb sign so those office gossipers will no longer disrupt your work.

Find a stress outlet

Even when you adopt a positive mindset and focus on work bu ignoring the background noise, you’ll still be stressed after work. One of the ways to elevate your mood right after work is to engage in physical activity. Small group Pilates Canberra sessions will fulfill your daily requirement of physical activity and reduce work-related stress. Most importantly, if you engage in physical activity right after work, you’ll leave stress on the pilates mat and head home with a positive mood. Get physical to blow off some steam and dwell less on your current work situation.

Use your lunch break to your benefit

A lunch break can be your mental reset if you do it right. Take your lunch break outside and step away from the negative emotions. Change your surroundings so that you can change your mindset. Step outside and breathe in some fresh air. After you’re done eating, you can take a walk around the building and improve your energy levels. When you return to work, you’ll feel better and the day will fly by faster. 

Remember – it’s just a job

Even if you don’t have any internal motivation to keep doing this job, you still have the external motivation. In other words, you still have bills to pay. Even if the environment is stressful and doesn’t motivate you anymore, remember that it’s just a job. Take each day at a time, bring in your top work skills, and be as productive as you can. Once you clock out, create the distance from work by doing things you love and that defines you more than your job.

Just focus on the positive, tune out of the negative and view it as the background noise. Background noise is always there but it doesn’t mean that you need to listen to it. Remind yourself that there’s life outside the office and you’ll be immediately happier.


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