World Mental Health Day is on 10th October and the theme for this year is Workplace Wellness.
It is natural for anyone to look for appreciation, validation and a pat on the back for all the good work and effort one puts at the work front. And if words of appreciation and encouragement come from the boss it is surely an achievement. But not all bosses are generous enough in doling out kind words of appreciation and admiration. Some might even manipulate you to a point where your entire personality changes forever. Here are ways to recover from a toxic environment at work.
Most of your work-life stress issues could be due to working under an incompetent boss. Sometimes we fail to realise that we are been taken for a ride, especially, because we expect too much from ourselves. Some bosses take advantage of your vulnerabilities and exploit you in a way that you become the toxic version of the person you are. Know how sitting at your desk continuously can make you sad and depressed.
If you are someone looking for feedback for your hard work and hardly get any positive words from the boss, try to know if you are being exploited by your employer. Here Dr Milan Balakrishnan, consultant psychiatrist, Juno Clinic, Mumbai, tells us about the signs that you are turning into a toxic version of yourself:
You are irritable most of the time: When nothing positive comes your way despite putting your best foot forward it is natural to become angry, sad and irritable. If your boss is being manipulative with you he will always hold back from using words of encouragement for you and ask you to get better with your work even when your performance graph shows a steady growth. For most people, this is disappointing and can result in crabbiness which in turn can disturb your equation with your co-workers and family members too.
You are sacrificing too much for too less: Sometimes you are manipulated to such an extent that you crave for your work to be noticed and rewarded. And in a quest to get that kind of appreciation you keep pushing your limits to the core, sacrificing your own happiness and concentrating too much on your work. However, nothing makes your boss notice your hard work and all he finds is that one negligible fault to pull you down in front of the whole team. Here are ways to avoid gaslighting at work.
You feel lethargic and unwanted: Since nothing in the workforce motivates you, this translates into a feeling of lethargy that affects productivity and makes you doubt your own capabilities. At times these negative emotions turn out to be so strong that you start feeling unloved and unwanted. In fact, it becomes difficult to indulge in self-love. Here are seven ways you should not sit on your office chair.
You don t feel a sense of accomplishment: As no one cares enough for your achievements and fails to recognise your efforts this gives a sense of non-accomplishment at work front.
You have no time for yourself: Because you are burning the candle at night trying to finish that important presentation all so often to get ahead at work that you seldom realise you have no time for your hobbies or your family, which is so important for your wellbeing.
You have started doubting your capabilities: This happens even to the best of us. People need feedback; they thrive on appreciations and positive responses. But if your boss refuses to talk about your strengths and work on your weaknesses doubting your own capabilities is natural.
You feel overwhelmed at work: Of course, you will not feel any good vibes at your workplace if your toxic boss has launched a personal vendetta against you. You might feel like you are walking on eggshells all so often while at work.
You fail to be assertive at work: When your boss knows how to play and exploit your vulnerabilities he might load you with unnatural targets and projects. You fail to realise the underlying trick and fall for it easily without being assertive and say a firm no. Here are signs that your boss might not be a bad person, but just a perfectionist.
You secretly compare yourself to others: Because your co-workers are getting their bit of fame at the work front it makes you doubt your skills and compare yourself to others. This tarnishes the relation you have with your colleagues and makes you more vulnerable and sad.
You are never happy at work: This itself should give you an idea that you are not at the right place. A good team leader will always make sure that the entire team is at ease and happy at the work front.
What you should do:
Here are few tips Dr Balakrishna suggests you should follow to avoid such toxic situation:
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Stop looking for validation and appreciation from others. You are your best critic and judge. Focus on improving your skills and enhancing them by doing your job the right way.
Learn to be assertive at times when you are bombarded with unnatural targets in the name of the knowledge and exposure.
Chose your happiness over everything else. Quit a toxic job which isn t making you happy and healthy. Your mental health could be at stake if you endure a toxic work relation for too long.
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