Workplaces thrive off of the cooperation of all the members of a team, but because of the stress that comes with work, sometimes co-workers aren’t always the most cooperative and don’t get along well with the rest of the team for whatever reason. Toxicity in the workplace often arises as a result of issues with the work culture in the company, but may also arise as a result of co-workers who have an abrasive personality by default.
When there is toxicity within the team, the adverse effects of it can often affect productivity because of the emotional strain it puts on members not used to this way of thinking. Here, we’ve prepared three self-help tips on how to cope and stay positive despite friction with these difficult colleagues.
Resist The Urge To Backstab Them
Whether or not your co-workers like this abrasive colleague, you’re not helping yourself by talking harshly about them behind their back. Do yourself a favor and keep yourself from being labeled as the office gossip. As tempting it is at times to rant about this person, you’re better off directing your energies towards productivity instead.
Focus On Yourself
Instead of thinking too much about how you dislike or even loathe this coworker, remember that these thoughts create deep-seated anger and other negative emotions deep inside you, and will not help improve the situation in any way at all. If you have some time to spare, try meditating over your break or spend some time breathing in the fresh air outside. Keep yourself calm and collected, and work towards maintaining a positive work environment for yourself as much as you can.
Show Kindness
Though it can be difficult to actually want to show these people kindness at times, try considering why these people are acting the way they are. Are they stressed as well? Are their emotions getting in the way of their productivity? Is there too much on their plate? Strike a conversation with them and show them you’re there to make things even a bit more pleasant for them, and they may grow to be more pleasant coworkers in the long run. If not, show kindness to yourself and work on creating healthy relationships with your other colleagues instead.
Not every work environment will have these difficult people around, but we at Technalink believe that it’s a good idea to be prepared to deal with them when they are there. Make it a point to always maintain a positive outlook when at work so that when things get rough, you can always bounce back.
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