The environment is an inseparable part of human life. It can influence the way we think, behave, and even determine how we live our daily lives. Believe me, being trapped in a toxic environment is the most annoying thing.
In simple terms, a toxic environment can be defined as a circle of friends, family or work that can have a negative impact on a person’s emotional and mental health.
The characteristics of a toxic environment can be seen in several ways, such as unhealthy communication, lack of mutual respect, stressful atmosphere, and lack of emotional support. Meanwhile, the effects that can be caused by a toxic environment are stress and anxiety, feeling unappreciated, always emotional, decreased productivity, and even disturbed physical health.
If you are currently in a toxic environment, then there are several things you need to do to maintain your mental health. Here are 8 ways to deal with a toxic environment.
1. Live a healthy lifestyle
The first and most important thing is to live a healthy life. A healthy lifestyle can help maintain stress levels so that we can stay focused through the day. You can do this by exercising every day. Exercise is believed to relieve stress because it releases endorphins hormones, which activate feelings of happiness.
Apart from exercising, make sure you get enough rest and maintain a healthy and regular diet. With enough rest, the body has lots of additional energy to face various challenging tasks. Likewise, healthy food can provide stamina to the body.
2. Manage tasks
Create a daily list or schedule. Choose the tasks that need to be completed first. Then manage the schedule well so you know when to work and when to rest.
3. Focus on one task
If you have a lot of tasks and you’re the type of person who can’t multitask, it’s better to just focus on one task. Don’t worry and panic about not being able to complete the tasks that haven’t been done. Because, it can actually make the work much more messy. Convince yourself that the next task can be done after the first task is completed.
4. After the rain there must be a rainbow
Instill in yourself that “out of darkness comes light”. This means that you have to believe that after facing a tough week full of work, there must be a sweet result to be had. Focus on the end goal so that you can always take positive action. If you start to feel lost, give yourself some time to think clearly to determine your next goal.
5. Take a break if you are tired
When tasks pile up, take a break to rest. Try to get out of the room for about 15 minutes, get some fresh air. If you have friends with the same frequency, try chatting about fun things. If you feel really tired of life, there’s nothing wrong to taking time off for a break or vacation.
6. Manage your emotions
A sense of calm usually comes after you manage your emotions. Talk to people you trust about what you’re going through, or seek professional help from a therapist or counselor.
7. Establish boundaries
Set clear boundaries about what you can and cannot tolerate in your relationships with others. For example, when a friend asks for help, simply say “Sorry, I’m really busy today, maybe next time I can help”.
8. Be assertive
People who have an assertive attitude are able to convey what they want, think and feel. Don’t have an “unpleasant” attitude. If you don’t want to, say no. If you want to, say you want to. This can make your position less oppressive and make you more assertive towards yourself and others.
