Here’s How To Cope With A Toxic Work Environment

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If you’re struggling to figure out how to handle a toxic work environment, we first want to say that we’re sorry you’re in this situation. An uncomfortable workspace is brutal, especially since you’re probably spending eight hours a day right in the middle of it. However, even if you’re feeling beaten down and exhausted, we’re here to tell you that you have options. Here’s how to cope with your frustrating workspace without making things super awkward.

The Problem: Your coworker talks about everyone and it stresses you out.

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Short-Term Solution: Tune out and find a quiet space to work. If possible, move away from this coworker or ask to have a different workspace and make up some excuse as to why you want to move (“It’s way too cold by the window!” or “I’m not getting a ton of natural light and it’s exhausting me”). And if you can’t move, put on your headphones and work through some music instead of the tone of your coworker’s voice.

Long-Term Solution:  Have an informal talk with your boss about your coworker’s behavior if his or her gossiping is affecting your work and relationships within the office. Most likely, even if your boss decides to have a talk with this coworker down the road, you won’t be exposed as the one who came to your boss about it in the first place. If your coworker is openly gossiping or talking to you about everyone else, he or she is probably talking to someone else, too. You’re probably not the only one catching on to the behavior.

The Problem: You hate your boss, and you dread coming into work every day as a result.

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Short-Term Solution: Buddy up with another leader at the company. Whether that’s the CEO, someone on the same level as your boss or someone in a different department entirely, seek out someone to learn from and gain guidance from. Obviously, the accessibility of these people depends on the size and scope of the company you work for, but the point is to choose another manager or authority figure who can teach you something new. You’ll probably even earn some bonus points for taking the initiative to learn a new skill within your company.

Long-Term Solution: Switch departments or roles if you can, and if you can’t, identify what you don’t want in a boss and keep it in mind while you search for a new job. Some companies are flexible in terms of what kind of work you are able to do or who you work under. Talk to your boss’s boss or a leader at the company about working under someone you really admire, and paint the picture that way so that there’s no awkward situations or hard feelings. If you say you love Becky’s leadership style and vision for her department and you’re inspired to follow her into that vision, the person you’re talking to likely won’t read that as “I hate my boss — please save me!”

If working under someone else isn’t an option and you don’t want to leave the company, have an open discussion with your boss about your differences and come ready with potential solutions for how you two can mend your relationship. Communication is key, and if you’re willing to be honest with your boss, you may come to an understanding that will result in a more bearable environment. Bring in another leader to facilitate the discussion if you need to.

The Problem: You’ve realized that the company culture and/or vision just aren’t for you.

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Short-Term Solution: Take the initiative to create a project or new vision for the company with supporting examples of how your idea could work. You may have more power to shape your company than you think, and depending on your workplace’s flexibility on these procedures, you could show off some serious leadership chops by executing your idea well.

Long-Term Solution: The only option, really, is to leave the company if nothing else is working and you don’t feel that you can contribute to a company you don’t respect. Make time to apply for new positions, use any excuse you can to leave for interviews and, in the meantime, keep a positive outlook. Develop the mindset that while you wait for something else to come along, you have the opportunity to come to work every day with a smile on your face and a productive attitude. There’s no use in being miserable if you can’t change where you are in that moment. Make the best of your situation while you’re still in it.