Toxic Workplace

Overcoming Monday Morning In a Typical Toxic Workplace

Imagine walking into a workplace at 8:30 a.m. to see tempers already flaring.

This morning I got to work at my usual time of 8:30. I sat in my car for a few moments, not wanting to brave the -16 degrees Celsius weather. But beyond that, I couldn’t shake the feeling of uneasiness that swept over me.

I was hit with a case of “Monday Morning Blues.”

According to yourstory.com,

“Blues” is a term loosely used to denote a mild form of depression or sadness. As Monday mornings are right after a relaxed two-day weekend (for most people), the depressed state of mind that we feel in the morning while getting ready for work is often referred to as Monday Morning Blues.”

I turned off my car and said a short prayer. “Dear God, please help me get through today with my mind intact.”

As I walked into the office, it was as if I was hit with a ton of bricks.

The receptionist informed us that the time clock wasn’t working. At which I chuckled.

I chuckled not because something was wrong with what she said but because the time clock often breaks down every two weeks, like clockwork, whenever it’s time for payroll. And, would you know it, it’s payroll week.

As I turned the key to my office door, I heard yelling. People yelling at one another at the top of their lungs, so loud I could not make out what’s been said.

I turned on my office light, put down my bag, took off my winter coat, hung it, sat down, and closed my eyes.

Working in a toxic workplace requires discipline, patience, and persistence to make it through the day.

So, I asked myself how I could be motivated enough today to make it to the end of the day. I needed a plan, a strategy. I needed to find a way to either A) distract myself from the yelling or B) switch off my inner voice telling me to leave. I needed an out. I needed an answer.

As I sat in my office, it felt like I was in a war zone. I was just sitting there, waiting for the battle to end — I can’t imagine how it must feel to be in an actual war zone. It was an uncomfortable feeling. I wanted to go home. My body was tensed up. My mind was racing. I tried to escape the noise and the chaos.

Though, in all of this, there are lessons to learn:

1. Even in a toxic environment, you have to show up. Be in it to win it. You can’t let the toxic environment affect your attitude or your work. You need to go in with a fighting mindset. Don’t get distracted by the yelling. If you are too distracted by the yelling, you will become weak and lose confidence.
2. You need to be able to filter. You’ve got to be able to block out the noise when necessary. It’s like walking into a war zone and walking out the other side — unscathed.
3. You need to be flexible. You’ve got to be able to adapt to the environment. You’ve got to be able to adapt to the yelling and don’t let it infiltrate your thoughts or cause you to come out of character.
4. Your job doesn’t define you; your personality does. In a toxic environment, you may feel the need to change your personality to fit in. But do yourself a favor and don’t do that, and you’ll only sabotage yourself in the long run. Find ways to be yourself and show up as your authentic self.

But more importantly, I learned that there are moments when you need to block out the noise and continue doing your job. The noise fades away in time. This takes discipline and patience, and persistence. It takes getting used to. But after a while, you get used to it.

Then you realize that the yelling and the distractions aren’t that bad. In fact, they make you more productive. They make you fight harder. They make you more passionate. They make you stronger, and they make you better.

It’s moments like this that remind me that no matter how difficult my job is, I’m going to get through it because I’m strong, and I’m going to be able to rise above the noise and the distractions.

A toxic workplace can be a tough place to work, especially if it causes you too much stress or anxiety. You may be surprised at how often this happens. I am not talking about the occasional stress that can be normal in any workplace, but about a workplace in which the environment has become so toxic that it is not just challenging to be in, but hazardous and harmful to your wellbeing.

So how can you tell a toxic workplace before you get there? Many signs reveal a toxic workplace to you, but you should be vigilant.

The worst is when it is not just the toxic workplace but the general environment that the company is in. The unhealthy traits start to seep into your life, and it shows up in the way you think, the way you talk and how you feel about your job.

Whether or not a toxic environment should be considered an occupational hazard has been studied for years. When you put aside the legalities of things, it seems that most businesses, regardless of their size, are not prepared to provide a healthy and safe working environment.

Sadly,

“When a workplace becomes toxic, its poison spreads beyond its walls and into the lives of its workers and their families.” — Gary Chapman, Rising Above a Toxic Workplace: Taking Care of Yourself in an Unhealthy Environment

The toxic workplace is not just a problem at my workplace. The best way I can describe it is that it’s cancer. It permeates every aspect of the company, and it’s spreading.