7 Toxic Workplace Checklist to Stay Motivated

Working in a toxic work environment can reduce productivity, lead to building up resentment among colleagues, and ultimately, culminate in giving less of one’s best on the job. Figuring out how to stay motivated as a professional with this toxic workplace checklist could be the safe space you need to stay sane and be committed to working.

This guide here suggests some of the personal retrospectives and recommends what some professionals could do to either win back their colleagues or be in their leagues while progressing in their chosen careers.

Table of Contents

The Impact of Toxicity in the Workspace

From creating a feeling of inadequacy to making the workers feel that their inputs aren’t recognized, a toxic workspace is the last place someone with huge career potential would wish to work.

As per research published by the National Library of Medicine, a toxic working environment breeds lots of negative impacts, such as:

Physical and mental imbalance.
Creating a feeling of inadequacy.
Most employees are forced to be pressured at work, which could be counter-productive to their input if left to work as they should have.

How to Manage Working in a Toxic Workplace

Experts recommend staying true to oneself, finding a purpose, and sticking to collaborating or communicating with friendly colleagues as a way of balancing work and personal life in a toxic workspace.

1. Maintain Calm in the Face of Turmoil

Most times, the toxicity in the workplace is not because you’re being singled out from the rest of the team. Rather, it could be because the management has developed a “cold shoulder” or doesn’t take the input of staff seriously.

Whatever the case, you’re better off remaining positive in the face of the storm, while hoping that things go back to normal.

2. Prioritize Personal Development at this Point

It may seem a little selfish but becoming the best version of yourself may be a good way to navigate through a toxic workspace. Here are workable ways to go about this:

Invest in Books: when free during work hours, usually during breaks, it turns out to be a time to have some time to yourself. It could also be a viable moment to notice what’s amiss in the workplace and get immersed in the negativity that brings. Experts recommend either using that free time in solitude to meditate or reading books that inspire you to keep pushing for more.
Focus on What’s Within Your Reach: focusing on what you can control becomes a good way to keep one’s head above the water and remain committed to the job. It could be not personalizing any actions or inactions that may be irritating or making sure to get your part of the daily tasks completed on time.

3. Set Your Boundaries

Of course, when the workplace becomes chaotic, employees would want to take sides and so does loyalty switch from one to the other. In addition to remaining true to yourself in the resolve not to be a part of the toxicity, also make sure to set clear boundaries.

Here are clues:

Limit interactions with colleagues who have clearly shown that they’re okay with the current happenings and wouldn’t mind taking sides, thus, fueling it the more.
Make a mindset shift on what you must do and what you must never be found doing amidst the chaos in the workplace.
Remain committed to the job and never have divided loyalty.

4. Connect with Likeminds

As to be expected, loyalty must have been divided at this point and some of your colleagues will be for or against the happenings. Being an island or a loner may help but what happens to the needed collaborations to advance in the career and get jobs done?

You’d need to collaborate and or connect with “like minds,” colleagues who are also neutral and wish to be optimistic in the face of all the issues. Reach out to them and express your desire to share ideas and have a deepened professional relationship.

5. Be Distracted, in a Healthy Way

While distractions, generally, can be negative towards your career progression, they may come in handy as an effective way to cope with working in a toxic workspace.

Healthy distractions in the form of pursuing hobbies and other activities that take your time but rejuvenate the body and soul can be helpful. Here are suggestions:

Engage in meditation sessions. You could do this during a break at work or before setting out for work for the day.
Engage in physical activities, such as jogging, hitting the gym, or taking cooking classes.

6. Consider Talking to Someone

Sometimes, the best of us get overwhelmed with work-related challenges, most especially, when the workplace becomes a “war field” of sorts. Thus, seeking professional help or talking to someone could be a way to get some inner peace.

You could do that in several ways, including:

Confiding in close work friends or colleagues about the way you feel about it all.
Talking to close family members or friends and asking for suggestions on how to navigate working in a toxic workspace.
Seeking a counseling session with a therapist. This becomes essential when your mental health is disturbed because of work-related toxicity.

7. Take Pride in the Things that Matter to You

In addition to discovering your other interests within this time, you should also enjoy the moment, knowing it’s only temporary. Take pride in the things that matter most to you by:

Celebrating small and big wins, especially after getting a milestone done in your career.
Get enough rest and eat healthily.
Being non-judgmental towards your colleagues and yourself.

Final Verdict: Start Looking for Another Job

The truth is that working in a toxic workplace is never anyone’s wish. However, if the environment becomes choking and you can no longer stand the heat, it may just be time to get “out of the kitchen.”