8 Ways To Protect Your Peace In A Toxic Workplace

Sometimes it may seem like the corporate system is designed to drain you, and have you wondering how to protect your peace.

Staying happy and sane in a toxic workplace where it seems like every interaction further drains the life from you is tough.

Being in a toxic workplace is normally due to circumstances beyond our control.

And this can make it quite difficult for one to get any work done properly.

A toxic workplace will mess with your mind, creativity, productivity, happiness, and peace.

And this is why it’s very important to know when a job is negatively affecting you, so you can protect your peace.

But what does it mean to protect one’s peace?

Let’s discuss it.

What Does It Mean to Protect Your Peace?

Protecting your peace involves doing things that will serve as a shield against the negativity surrounding you.

Protecting your peace involves defending yourself mentally, psychologically, physically, and emotionally from external toxicity.

It means making a series of decisions that are in your best interests. That makes it easier for you to cope with the unideal situation around you.

Now let’s discuss the practical steps you can take to protect your peace in a toxic workplace.

How To Protect Your Peace

1. Create Your Own Little Paradise

You are the only one who knows what makes you happy, so you are in the best position to create your own little world.

Taking your time to decorate your office space and turning it into a little haven or oasis in the desert has numerous benefits.

You can make your space more cozy by adding a small plant, pictures of loved ones, etc.

Anything that you know will make you inherently happy and forget all the trouble brewing just inches from you.

2. Learn To Refocus

To protect your peace, you have to understand that certain situations don’t require your attention.

Especially situations that you know will leave you feeling drained and unhappy.

If you can’t avoid these situations, then you must learn to remove your focus.

Don’t give these your full attention, neither should you spend time thinking about them.

Spend time doing other important tasks instead.

Even if they are not so important, let them be something you enjoy doing.

3. Set Boundaries

Identify the people who make you unhappy or disturb your peace at work.

Even though you want to, it’s impossible to avoid them completely.

So you focus on what you can do, which is having as little interaction with them as possible.

Also, set boundaries, don’t be afraid to tell them certain things they do that you don’t like.

This is highly recommended if you have good communication skills.

Just ensure you’re being respectful about it, especially when the person is superior.

Speak your mind carefully, with selected words, and bravely.

Let them know exactly what they do that bothers you and interferes with your work.

Let them know how you feel and you’d appreciate it if they stopped or made an effort to change.

4. Figure Out Exactly What You Need

One way to protect your peace is to figure out what is missing and what you need to thrive in your workplace.

Ask yourself thought-provoking and discerning questions like:

What do I need to be successful and thrive in this career?

Is there anything I can do differently to change how my colleagues behave towards me?

Is the toxicity of my workplace something I should discuss with my boss?

What are my long-term plans for this job?

5. Have A Work and Personal Life Balance

To help you remain stable mentally and emotionally, your work and personal life must remain separate.

When you leave your workplace, leave everything concerning it there.

There should be no taking work home, no Zoom meetings, no work emails, absolutely nothing.

Use every second you have to yourself to care for and nourish your mind and body.

Try fun activities that put you at ease and put a smile on your face.

Leave work and all its troubles behind. And only take them back when you walk back into the office.

6. Evaluate Your Company Values

When the toxicity at your workplace starts to affect other aspects of your life.

Or you find yourself constantly fighting harassment, discrimination, bullying, etc…then it’s time to re-evaluate why you took this job in the first place.

You have to reconsider everything concerning your job and probably speak to the human resources manager.

Explain the situation and ask what can be done.

Then give them time to see if they’d try to implement any changes or policies.

If nothing is done, then you may have to start considering quitting.

7. Find An Employer That Shares Your Values

If you decide to leave a toxic job, you have to put in extra effort to find an employer that won’t be through a similar experience.

So you won’t go from one bad situation to an even worse one.

Job searching can be pretty tedious, so before leaving your present job set some aside.

And when you start the job search process don’t forget to keep your peace and mental health in check.

8. Take Steps To Be Happy

I know it’s extremely hard to be happy when everything seems to be working against you.

But if you decide to stay at a toxic workplace, you have to make the extra effort to protect your peace.

You can invest in certain hobbies, that will take your mind off anything that happened at work and de-stress you.

If you like music, then you may want a playlist for work that can help calm your nerves.

Don’t stay idle. Sometimes staying idle can make you overthink your situation and ruin your mood.

So occasionally during work take short walks, maybe to the parking lot or a nearby park to clear your head and put your mind at ease.

Protecting Your Peace

Protecting your peace in a toxic workplace is mandatory. A toxic workplace can do irreparable damage to you if you let it.

This is why you must protect your peace at all costs. So remember to create your own paradise, refocus, set boundaries, figure out what you need, separate your personal life, find ways to be happy, and don’t be afraid to quit.

Whatever decision you make, the NetWerk community is here to provide you with all the resources you need to excel.