Since we spend many, many hours at our workplaces, the ideal would be to establish good inter-work relationships so that the work day is pleasant and enjoyable. However, we know that this is not always the case and that we can find ourselves in a somewhat shady work environment. Sometimes, our coworkers, our bosses or clients can test our patience and we even question our work and even personal abilities.
But what can we do if we come across toxic coworkers who affect our mental health? Below we leave you some simple tips that can teach you how to deal with them and not die trying:
What kind of toxic coworkers can we find?
Before learning how to deal with toxic coworkers, it is important that you know how to identify the types of people you may encounter at work:
1. Toxic Coworkers: The Victimizer
This type of person spends the day complaining, talking about how badly they do things, the need to be included and listened to, etc. Although their desire is to be liked by everyone and be accepted, you must be careful, because their way of being pushes people away since they get tired of always hearing the same thing and their complaints.
2. Toxic coworkers: Passive-aggressive
They can be quickly identified because they put you off balance. This means that they are people who will try to sabotage your work, or that of other colleagues, in a subtle way to get on the good side of the boss. They achieve this by not delivering their work on time or delivering it poorly, making it seem as if they don't understand you or don't understand you, not including you or informing you of important things and competencies for both of you.
These types of passive-aggressive toxic coworkers create an atmosphere of hostility without you even realizing it. They will never take responsibility and tend to be irritable.
3. Toxic coworkers: Envious person
He will spend all his time criticizing you, directly or indirectly, his potential, he will talk about you, he will sabotage your work, he will try to put himself above you, making you look bad in front of your colleagues and bosses.
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4. Toxic coworkers: The “climber”
This type of toxic coworker will do everything possible and will do anything to get promoted or to be liked by the influential people in the company. They will not mind directly and aggressively attacking anyone who is an obstacle to achieving their goal. With this type of toxic coworker you must be cautious, because they appear very sociable, kind and eager to help you, but behind your back they are betraying you.
5. Toxic Coworkers: The Savior
Whatever they do to help you, there is a cost. Sooner or later you will have to repay them for the favor they did you at some point. They act selflessly, but they get upset if you don't follow their rules, to the point that they make you feel like you owe them your life.
6. Toxic coworkers: The exploiter
Toxic and exploitative coworkers are arguably one of the worst types of people you can come across. They are truly selfish, not taking into account the needs and desires of their coworkers, much less their mental or physical health. They will pressure you to give much more than you can give. They rarely, if ever, lead by example.
7. Toxic coworkers: The pervert
This profile may contain traits of the profiles mentioned above. They are people without a shred of empathy. When someone reaches out to you, they hold it in their hands and take it into account as long as you serve their own benefit. They look out for themselves and see others as objects to be used.
Their actions can make you feel very bad, to the point that you could end up doubting yourself. These people exercise a kind of subtle and pathological abuse that is not so easy to detect, so you must be very careful.
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How to deal with toxic coworkers?
The list above, which details the profiles of the types of toxic coworkers, will help you detect who you associate with so that you can prevent and act in certain situations. Identifying the profile would basically be the first step to take into account in order to know who you surround yourself with at work.
However, we mention other steps you should follow to deal with toxic coworkers:
✅ Have clear objectives . If you know where you are going and what your goals are, it will be easier for you not to be carried away or manipulated by toxic coworkers.
✅ Trust in your abilities . Toxic coworkers can make you feel inferior or incompetent. Be very clear about who you are, what you are worth, and your potential.
✅ Be assertive . Assertiveness is a virtue that is not always innate, however, it is possible to train it. Being assertive will help you defend your ideas and rights calmly, without resorting to aggression.
✅ Don't show fear . When toxic coworkers detect fear, they take advantage of it, but if you show the opposite, they will distance themselves from you. Avoid being seen as weak.
✅ Focus on the positives – you probably have other fantastic colleagues, help and support each other. Look for those positive moments in your work day and do activities outside of work that help you maintain a work-life balance.
✅ Create a wellness routine , mindfulness or yoga are activities that will help you strengthen yourself emotionally and personally.
Courses that may interest you
Do you want to acquire more skills that will help you perform better in the area of Human Resources Management? We recommend our courses on Emotional Intelligence for Leaders, Assertive Communication and Effective Communication.
