Signs You're in a Toxic Work Environment & How To Handle It
A while back I found myself wanting to sleep in more, feeling down, and my energy levels were incredibly low. If you know me, you know that I am bright and bubbly and have tons of energy. This wasn’t like me and I knew that something had to change immediately…. my work environment. I knew that the people I was surrounded with at work weren’t the best, but I’ve navigated through tough environments in the past and figured that I would be fine. Welp. I was wrong. Hella wrong. I realized that the stress of working in a toxic environment was manifesting itself in my life physically, mentally, and emotionally and I had to do something to fix it. You are a product of your environment and if you are around toxic environments, you get sucked into the negativity and the unproductive atmosphere. That’s not me. Most of you will probably say the same.
The key is identifying if you are not happy because of the direction your career is going and don’t like your job or you aren’t happy because you are in a work environment that’s a dumpster fire. Sometimes it can be all of the above, but I definitely recommend taking a step back and assessing the situation.
Check out the signs from topresume.com listed below that identify if you’re in a toxic work environment and what you can do to handle it… or in some cases, get the hell outta Dodge.
Physical signs of a toxic work environment
A toxic workplace can be defined as any job where the work, the atmosphere, the people, or any combination of those things cause serious disruptions in the rest of your life.
These disruptions can show up in any number of physical symptoms, says a recent article by coach and human-behavior professor Melody Wilding. These include “sleepless nights, feeling constantly vigilant, sweaty palms, and a racing heartbeat.”
What's more, a toxic or hostile workplace has negative health impacts that can affect your personal life by “damaging everything from your self-esteem to your friendships,” states Wilding.
Our bodies are very adept at letting us know there's a “danger” that needs to be addressed, so we need to pay attention. Check-in with yourself frequently with these questions:
How are you sleeping? Are you regularly getting at least eight hours?
What's your eating like? Are you often too stressed to eat, or do you tend to overeat?
Are you feeling safe at home and at work?
If the answers to these questions raise red flags, then it's time to assess your work environment to see what exactly is causing your health and well-being to suffer.
Workplace signs of a toxic environment
These are some solid indicators that you're in a toxic work environment:
Employee Sickness: Toxic workplaces lead to employee burnout, fatigue, and illness due to high levels of stress that wreak havoc on our bodies. If people are calling in sick or worse, are working sick, that's a good sign of a toxic work environment.
Narcissistic Leadership: Your higher-ups demand that you always agree with them, tell them they're right, and feel they're above the rules. They expect everyone else to be perfect while they can meet lower standards.
Little to No Enthusiasm: Look around the office. Is anyone happy to be working there? Is anyone smiling? Are conversations positive and upbeat? Is anyone talking at all? A ”no” to these questions equals toxicity.
Lack of Communication or Negative Communication: You and others don't get the necessary information to do your job. You work hard with no positive feedback and no recognition, and you might even be told to be glad you have a job at all.
High Turnover: When the work environment has nothing good to offer except dysfunction, poor morale, and sickness, people will start heading for the door to find a better situation. If you notice a high turnover rate in your company or department, take that as a sign of a toxic workplace.
Cliques, Gossip, and Rumors: Everyone seems to be out for themselves, and there are no genuine friendships among employees. There's lots of infighting and paranoia as well as gossip and rumors.
In addition to the list above, trust your gut if it tells you something is wrong. Once you know what you're dealing with, it's time to develop strategies that can help you stay sane day to day.
How to handle a toxic work environment
Since it takes time to find a new job and you can't just walk away from this difficult situation immediately, it helps to develop ways to handle the dysfunction until you can step into a new job somewhere else:
Find people who feel the same way you do. Develop friendships with people who feel the same way as you. The hope is that you'll watch each other's back and will share any news with the group.
Do something after work that can help relieve stress. Go to the gym, do home repairs, or learn a new skill. The key is to make sure you're living a fulfilling life outside of work to combat the drama of your 9 to 5.
Create lists to keep yourself busy. A list can help you stay focused on your tasks instead of the toxic atmosphere and gives you a reason to keep going every day.
Document everything you do. Save emails and write down comments and decisions from meetings, phone calls, and every person who interacts with you. If you need to file a complaint, you will need the evidence to back your claim.
Start your exit strategy. It is possible that things could improve at your job, in which case it might make sense to stay. However, while waiting it out, begin your search for a new job. This will help you stay positive when things get rough. If you needed to leave yesterday, consider a bridge job that will keep you active while you find something in line with your career.
I hope this article gave some great tips and insight on how to navigate a stressful work environment and what you can do to improve your professional life. Remember, dealing with toxicity and negativity at work isn’t a hill you must climb to get ahead or succeed. Your health and wellbeing are what’s important and you deserve to be in a happy and balanced work environment.