Toxicity has a special, distinct knack at staying alive. Like a pathogen, it sticks to any living thing it can find. Washing your hands of it, trying to stay outside the realm of impact – these steps may help, but they won’t keep the disease at bay.
Regardless of how cautious you are, whether you take great care in staying away from it, toxicity will always find a way in. It will always take jabs at your happiness.
To craft a better future for yourself, you must rid the excess from your life. The clutter that inhibits your daily life – from materials, to emotions, to people – all that life draining surplus will only drag you down.
One bad day may feel and appear exactly as it is: one unsettling day masked by a few good days. But the situation from that day will carry over to the next. And it will continue carrying over, not stopping until you hit your breaking point.
Sadly, you can’t avoid toxicity completely. You can, however, choose your response to it. And remember: choosing to ignore it may not be as helpful as you think.
Here are a few ways you can begin handling toxic energy today.
– Take it one step at a time.
Don’t let toxicity run your life. Find a way to take the pessimism you meet and handle it, but don’t handle it all at once.
Negativity can run deep. It can be so intense that handling it requires some finesse. Quite often, you’re forced to take the toxicity you meet one step at a time. This is especially true if the issue stems from a loved one.
You can’t simply jump in and tell someone they’re toxic. You can’t suddenly walk away from a person locked into this form of pessimism. You must tread carefully in these waters.
Toxicity stems from something akin to a monster. It embeds uneasiness and drama into a life already chock-full of improbability and complexity. This toxicity may be biting at your inner-peace and tearing you down. But you can’t wash it away with a few choice words and distance. It isn’t that easy to get rid of.
Take it slow, folks.
Slowness may not be an inviting term, especially when facing a world that is constantly on the go. But in this case, you must take it easy. The faster you go, the less likely you’ll break away from it completely.
When you’re trying to walk away from toxicity, take it one step at a time. First, change your perspective. Then, find a way to distance yourself. And then, if necessary, walk away completely. And know that taking yourself out of a toxic situation doesn’t make you soft, but strong.
– Encourage the opposite.
Know someone who seeps toxicity? This is the person who arrives with a bad attitude. The friend who is unable to make light of any situation. The one who can’t help but pull others into their circle of toxicity because without another to lean on, they can’t get through the day. They simply can’t figure out how to continue because their mind has been doused in negativity.
Figure out who this person is and encourage the opposite.
If they invite you into their circle, politely decline. Offer them motivation. Push something with a positive feel into their life. Invite this person to your weekly yoga class. Take them hiking. Let him or her see that there is more to life than the toxicity they spread. Enforce goodness; true contentment and satisfaction. Help this person understand that while life isn’t easy, it’s worth living.
You may not change their perspective entirely, but you just might help them see the light in a dark situation. You just might help them find their way out of a hole they haven’t gotten out of in a long, long time.
– Don’t let it into your life.
This may be tough. You might have to let go of something, or someone, close – a friend, an acquaintance, a successful job. But for your own sake, you must do it.
Toxicity isn’t worth your time. The longer you let it linger, the further it will spread. Learn to pinpoint those who drag toxicity around like a stuffed bear. Trust me – if they haven’t shown their true colors yet, they soon will.
Here are a few types of people worth avoiding:
- Passive aggressive communicators
- Folks who judge before getting to know a person
- People who consistently complain about the little things
It’s not always easy to spot a toxic soul. It can take time – years, even – before you notice. Why? Because the toxicity spread by these people has found a way into your soul without showing itself. It’s gone unnoticed for longer than you know. Through no fault of your own, you’ve been held hostage by it for years.
Don’t let this happen to you. And if it does, try spotting the signs of toxicity early. It’s better to deal with it now than to have it fester for years.
Toxicity: A Beast Worth Conquering
Toxicity isn’t the easiest issue to conquer, but you have the strength to overcome it.
We’ve all dealt with some form of this negativity. You may be dealing with it right now. And, as you likely know, it isn’t easy to rid your life of it. You can’t simply wake up, retract your friendships, change jobs, and live a drama-free life. Sadly, this lifestyle choice takes time. It’s a change that requires effort – and a lot of it. If you care for the people or actions causing these issues, the journey towards a toxic-free life will be even harder to overcome.
Tweet ThisDo you deal with toxicity daily? If so, learn to identify it. Get away from it, but remember to take it slowly. React one step at a time. Encourage the opposite when you come across a person reeking of pessimism.
Once you’ve mastered those tips, you’ll feel relieved. Letting any amount of it back into your life will feel draining. Your inner-peace will be shaken. When you reach that moment, try to keep toxicity out of your life for good.
You can avoid toxicity long-term, so long as you learn to acknowledge and understand the signs.
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