In this article, I will talk about how to survive toxic people. Toxic people defy logic. Some are unknowingly unaware of the negative impact they have on those around them, and others seem to derive satisfaction from creating chaos and negative pressure on other people. Very often they are the people we have closest to, in the family and in most cases they are “friends”. Either way, they create unnecessary complexity, conflict and, worse still, stress.
Research has found that stress can have a negative and lasting impact on the brain. Stress is a formidable threat to your success – when stress gets out of control, your brain and performance suffer. And in this difficult time it is not really the case to add extra stress to our lives, it can help you (Managing Stress During the Corona Virus)
For this reason, surviving toxic people is more than essential in our daily life.
Whether it’s negativity , cruelty, victim syndrome, or just plain insanity, toxic people bring your brain into a stressed state that should be avoided at all costs. The Whitehall II study, which followed over 10,000 subjects for 12 years, found that people with toxic relationships had a higher risk of experiencing heart problems, including fatal heart attacks, than people who had healthy relationships.
A quote about toxic people from the Dalai Lama comes to mind:
“Let go of negative people. They only show up to share grievances, problems, disastrous stories, fear and judgment of others. If someone is looking for a bin to put all their trash in, make sure it’s not on your mind. “
If the Dalai Lama is dusting the toxicity off his shoulders, why not you should? Eliminating negativity from your life – even if you can’t eliminate the person – doesn’t make you a bad person, it means you’re evaluating your mental and emotional well-being and practicing true self-care.
Choose your Battles wisely.
It’s hard to balance being friendly with not wanting to normalize someone’s emotionally hurtful behavior. But toxic people don’t respond well to criticism. It is important to recognize that battles can quickly escalate into full-fledged declarations of war.
Ask yourself , “Do I appreciate this person’s opinion? ” And “Do they have my best interest at heart?” If the answer to both of these questions isn’t a resounding yes, don’t worry too much about what they say or do.
Toxic people only have the power to upset you if you let them upset you. Even if you can’t distance yourself physically, you always have the power to distance yourself emotionally.
I know what this cliché sounds like. But I also know that if you dwell on how maddening toxic people can be or the problems they create, it will stress you out.
Do your best to catch yourself when you start to fixate on the negative and try to consciously change your thoughts into more positive solutions or situations. Toxic people don’t deserve your mental energy.
Use your Support System to Survive Toxic People
If you’re lucky, you have a support network of people who aren’t toxic . Gather your support troops as needed.
It can feel really cathartic to let off steam with someone you appreciate (and who appreciates you!) If only to keep things in perspective. Your true friends will be there to remind you that you are awesome, so keep them close, they will help you eliminate the toxicity around you.
If you want to read something more about the subject or defend yourself better, I suggest the book “Toxic People” by Richard Miller that I read a few months ago and I found it interesting, I bought it on Amazon Toxic People How To Recognize How To Handle Them
