If there’s one piece of advice that you can follow as far as avoiding negative things, it’s that you should get as far away as possible from toxic people. The first step in this equation is defining what qualities toxic people have.
After that, it’s a matter of adjusting your behaviors to prevent them from getting in your orbit in the first place, or expunging them quickly if they do find a way into your life.
Three specific situations will give you examples of toxic people, and then you have to brainstorm how to get away from them. Toxic workplaces are created by toxic people. If you find toxic behaviors in your professional environment, you have to do something about it, or those folks can ruin your life, beginning with your career.
There is also the matter of stalkers. If someone becomes obsessed with you for any reason, that sort of toxicity can reach into every aspect of your life. Take steps to prevent and remove unnecessary attention from these types of people. And finally, there are online trolls that can make your life miserable. Since much of the Internet is anonymous, some of them are unidentifiable, but others you can figure out how to block or report as necessary.
Toxic Workplaces
If you’ve ever worked in a toxic environment, you know how draining and exhausting it is. But it’s not the workplace itself that is toxic. It is the people in it. Many people with toxic behaviors don’t even know that they have them.
That’s why you have to be assertive about making sure to stay away from these folks or be very direct about the fact that you will not accept some of their behaviors. Sometimes toxic actions on low levels occur because managers and company owners have these awful qualities. In those cases, sometimes it’s better to leave the job.
Stalkers
At the end of a situation where people are giving you unwanted attention and won’t leave you alone, you may have to get a restraining order. It is the last resort when it comes to legal implications, but the toxic nature of someone who refuses to get out of your life can be one of the worst things that will ever happen to you. If you ever talk to anyone who has had an active stalker, they will tell you the psychological pressure is enormous.
Online Trolls
If you spend any significant amount of time online, then you are aware of how many online trolls disrupt what would otherwise be good conversations. Toxic behavior online is challenging to get away from, and the more that you try to talk to the people who are creating the issues, the more they tend to push back just because they are irritating you and appreciate that sense of control that they get. Suggestions vary about how to deal with online trolls, but many times, ignoring them is your best bet.
