Remove These Toxic People From Your Life

Toxic people are exactly how their name sounds: poisonous. They turn the workplace into a miserable place to be, threaten productivity and make teamwork almost impossible to achieve. Their attitude can only bring you down, which is why you need to get them out of your life. Unfortunately, you may not be able to totally avoid these people at work, but you can minimize the effect they have on your performance and emotional well-being.

Types of Toxic People

There are several types of toxic people. You've probably encountered several of them in your life, whether at work, in a social setting or in another situation. You might have had words with the temperamental, a person who has no control over his emotions and may lash out without cause, or maybe you've been stuck in the breakroom with the gossipy, someone who can't help but talk about every little bit of misfortune that has befallen fellow office mates.

Other types of toxic people include the self-absorbed, a person who only seems to care about himself and how he can build his self-esteem, or the dementor, someone who is so cold and unfeeling that he sucks the positivity out of the room and leaves behind only negativity. And that's not all; Dr. Travis Bradberry, an expert in emotional intelligence, describes six other types of toxic people.

How to Minimize the Effect of Toxic People

While removing toxic people from your life is the ideal solution, it's not always possible, especially if that negative person in your office isn't planning on going anywhere anytime soon. It may not be a me-or-him type of situation, so if you want to stay at your job, you have to learn how to navigate the treacherous waters left behind by someone who constantly exudes toxicity and tries to pull everyone into it. Not only do toxic people make you miserable, but their behavior is disrespectful, which is extremely unprofessional. You don't want that poisonous cloud to envelop you and affect how you do your job.

But what can you do to stay out of that poisonous cloud? If you're dealing with the gossipy, do not contribute to the conversation. The gossipy needs an audience, and if you politely excuse yourself from the conversation, you're stopping him dead in the water. For the temperamental, do not let yourself feel sorry for him and his woes. He needs to get ahold of his emotions, and you're not his psychologist.

When the dementor enters the room, keep reminding yourself that the glass is half full, not half empty or totally empty like he makes it seem. If you remain positive and stop fear and concern from taking over, you stop his negative thinking from becoming your negative thinking. If the self-absorbed starts talking about himself and his projects and his interests, interject and talk about your successes. Don't be a tool to build his self-esteem; instead, try to make him see how teamwork can enrich everyone's work experiences.

Learning to deal with toxic people may have to be a new skill you acquire. Don't let the negative thoughts and actions of others influence how you perform your job. If you don't let them push your buttons, you'll find the work environment easier to manage.

Photo courtesy of David Castillo Dominici at FreeDigitalPhotos.net