How To Deal With Toxic People In Your Life

Everyone has encountered toxic people at some point in their lives. Even if you’re extremely lucky and haven’t had a bad experience with someone like that, there’s a good chance you know someone who is a little bit of a train wreck.

They go out of their way to bring others down, they have no problem latching onto petty grievances and making them worse by dwelling on them for weeks or even months afterward, they’re always looking for the negative in everything and everyone around them… and they’re just one person.

If you find yourself stuck with them more than you’d like, that probably means there are some things going on that need to change but you might not necessarily know how to deal with toxic people in your life yet. Maybe you don’t even realize how badly it affects your own outlook on things. No matter where you are right now, hopefully this article will help you take the first step forward in the right direction.

What Are Toxic People?

There are some people out there who seem to have toxic personalities. They’re constantly lashing out at others for one reason or another, they make things worse for themselves by relentlessly digging their own grave, and they have no trouble hurting others’ feelings.

In many cases, they’re just not very good at dealing with emotions in a healthy way. While toxic personalities can often be spotted by their friends long before they’re realized by the outside world, they can sometimes be difficult to identify. It’s not always clear-cut, but there are a few telltacks that may be able to help you figure out if someone is a little bit toxic.

Keep an eye out for any of these signs to help you figure out if you’re stuck with a toxic person in your life:

They have a track record of being harmful to others. At some point, they had a bad experience with someone else. It might have been in the past, but it’s not uncommon for toxic people to have an ongoing negative attitude toward certain types of people.

They’re constantly bringing others down. They have no qualms about making fun of others or making mean jokes or saying negative things to bring other people down; they have a never-ending string of grievances and criticisms.

They have an endless string of bad or pointless relationships. Toxic people are constantly getting into bad relationships or getting into arguments with their partners and friends; they might even have an endless list of exes that they keep bringing up.

They have no self-control. They never seem to have control over themselves. They say the most hurtful things, they have trouble keeping their mouths shut, and they make no effort to apologize to those they’ve wronged.

What Makes Dealing With Toxic People So Difficult?

It’s not easy to break free of the bonds of toxic people in your life. They’re often good-intentioned, even if they’re coming from a bad place. That’s part of the problem. When you’re stuck with someone who’s constantly critical and judgmental, it can be difficult to see the good in things anymore.

It’s not easy to stand up to someone who has a bad reputation, but it’s important. Toxic people thrive on negative energy and attention, so when you give it to them, they leave you feeling worse than when they came into your life. There are a few things that can make it even harder to deal with toxic people in your life.

Strategies For Dealing With Toxic People

Don’t feed the trolls - When someone is constantly negative, you can often get sucked into the conversation or find yourself agreeing with them just to show them you’re not a “troll”, too. This is almost never a productive way to deal with toxic people.

Know when to walk away - If someone’s being particularly toxic to you, try walking away from the conversation and putting some space between the two of you. This can be a good way to “reset” your energy and remind yourself that you don’t have to deal with this kind of person in your life.

Let it go - Sometimes, you just have to let a toxic person go. It’s not easy, but it’s important to remember that there are other people waiting for you out there who aren’t going to drag you down or make you feel bad about yourself.