How to Prioritize Mental Health in a Toxic Workplace

Toxic work environments are like a black hole 🕳️, slowly sucking away your happiness, productivity, and health. Then, one day, you finally realize the nightmare you have been living in and feel stuck. You know that you are gradually losing your sanity, but you also fear losing your paycheck. So, what do you do? First, regardless of how difficult the decision is, your mental health should NEVER be compromised for the sake of a paycheck! Yes, financial stress can also cause depression, but at least you still have the autonomy to rebuild your life. But, as long as you are consumed by a toxic workplace, your life will continually crumble. This was unfortunately true for a friend of mine, who hit rock bottom earlier this week due to a toxic work environment. After hearing this news, I had lunch with my colleague Alex Wisch, a mental health advocate, and shared a few of my takeaways below. 1️⃣ Acknowledge the red flags and trust your gut! Toxic work environments often exhibit patterns of bullying, micromanagement, lack of respect, and constant negativity. 2️⃣ Don't suffer in silence! Reach out to colleagues, mentors, or friends who can provide guidance and an outside perspective. 3️⃣ Take steps towards finding a healthier work environment. Start exploring new opportunities, updating your resume, and networking. 4️⃣ Make self-care a #1 priority. Engage in activities that bring you joy, practice mindfulness, exercise, have a consistent sleep schedule, and seek professional help if needed. 5️⃣ Don't settle and believe in yourself. Remember, you are talented, capable, and worthy of a work environment that values and appreciates you. 6️⃣ Ignore the haters. Usually, people who attack you are either jealous or battling their own demands. The majority of the time, it has less to do with you and more to do with their issues. The truth is YOU always have a choice. It doesn’t make it an easy choice, but when you prioritize your mental health, you secure your future.  -Ashesh Shah Share ♻️ this post to help empower others to step away from a toxic workplace. #MentalHealth #Leadership

I've been brutally honest about some of the toxic bosses I've worked for over the years. Everything from gaslighting behavior, to undermining my credibility to straight up yelling and screaming. It can be hard to do your job when you're navigating such toxicity, let alone find a way to detach from it so your self-esteem doesn't take a total dive. You might think you're doing everything right: >> staying professional >> keeping communication to a minimum >> focusing on your work >> ignoring the negativity   But unless you take intentional steps to detach and reinforce your own value, that toxic behavior will steal your soul. There's unhealthy detachment and healthy detachment from your toxic boss's behavior. Here are 3 things you can do to detach and feel more in control at the same time.   1. Respond instead of react :: Reacting is immediate and driven by the emotional mind, while responding involves a thoughtful decision made by the clear, rational mind. Take your time to gather yourself before responding. Sometimes responding means not engaging at all.   2. Connect with others instead of isolating yourself :: You would think keeping to yourself is the best way to deal with this. Instead of isolating, find a supportive and trusted network at work to help you cope with the situation. If not work, find a friend, mentor or coach to help you.   3. Remember your value instead of falling into the trap of self-doubt :: This is a biggie. Every client I've helped make their move out of a toxic workplace has doubts in their abilities due to their boss's negativity. Always remember, their behavior is not a reflection of your worth. You accumulate as much or more career value in a toxic workplace because you're developing skills like resilience, resourcefulness and .   It's soooo easy to make a toxic boss's behavior about you. It's not. It's about them. When you find yourself in a toxic workplace or working with a toxic person, take control of the only thing we have control over in any of life's circumstances... your amazing brain. Being thoughtful about your responses, making genuine connections with others and reminding yourself of your value are great ways to detach from toxicity and maintain your sanity.   Always for you, Elissa P.S. I did a podcast episode about freedom from toxic places. Click here to listen >> https://lnkd.in/gzPSJpih Love Your Work Life EP110 #Careers #WorkplaceCulture #Leadership

I hate that this is a thing...but it is. 😔 And just this morning during a coaching call with a leader, I heard about another example of it - toxic bosses and the mental/emotional stress they cause. 💼😰 The stats are alarming: a study by the University of Manchester found that employees with toxic bosses reported higher rates of stress, depression, and job dissatisfaction. 😞 But it's not just about feeling blue at work; this kind of stress can have serious, long-term health impacts. Not to get all nerdy 🤓, but one particular chemical our body releases in situations like this is cortisol. Elevated levels of cortisol over a long period of time can seriously affect our immune system, growth, reproductive system, and other vital body systems. So, what can you do if you find yourself in this tough spot? Here are three practical tips: Set Boundaries: It's crucial to establish what you will and won't tolerate. This might mean setting limits on how and when you're contacted outside work hours. 🚫 Document Everything: Keep a record of interactions that you find troubling. This can be invaluable if you need to make a case to HR or simply for your own sanity check. 📝 Seek Support: Don't go it alone. Whether it's a mentor, a trusted colleague, or a professional counselor, having a support system is key to managing the stress that comes with a difficult boss. 👥 I've seen the tide of work culture slowly turning over the past few years, but man, we have a long way to go. 🌊 Remember, your well-being is more important than your job. If you can't manage it, move on. 🚶♂️💼 You deserve a work environment, a boss, and a team that supports your growth and health, not one that compromises it. 🌱 #Leadership #WorkplaceWellness #MentalHealthAwareness