We all know some toxic people. In fact, some of us may be in toxic relationships right now. If you’re in one today and have already had enough but just can’t seem to walk away from it, keep reading.
Who are the toxic people in our lives?
Toxic people are all around us. It’s a lot easier to deal with toxic folks who are not close to us. You can just ignore them and have nothing to do with them ever again.
Unfortunately, some of the most toxic people we will ever encounter in life are those who are close to us like family members, relatives, and colleagues. Family and relatives are people you cannot easily cut off from your life.
This is why a lot of people don’t look forward to family reunions. They dread having to face family members and relatives who have nothing better to do than to criticize people from their looks to their jobs to their life decisions. These are the types of family gatherings where you would rather just lock yourself up in a room and just stay there until everyone’s gone.
And while you can always look for a new job to avoid toxic coworkers, chances are there will still be highly stressful people in your new workplace.
When we classify toxic people, we are looking at those who love being in control and taking over. And not in a good way. These people always have something to complain about and nitpick on, whether it has to do with you, their lives, or anything they set their eyes on. These are the type of people who don’t know how to appreciate the good things and will always point out the bad and blow things out of proportion. They thrive on making everyone feel inferior and small and insignificant compared to them.
The odd thing about toxic people, though, is that they look for people who are more forgiving and kind, those who will fight for relationships and are less likely to abandon people. But no matter how kind, beautiful-hearted, and strong you are, the longer you stick around these toxic people, the more you are opening yourself up to be mentally tortured, emotionally scarred, and spiritually spent.
You need to draw the line somewhere and learn how to walk away while you’re still whole.
4 Reasons Why You Should Walk Away from the Toxic People in Your Life
1. They cause stress and can negatively affect your health and wellness.
Toxic relationships are some of the main stressors that people have in life. The unnecessary pressures they add to a person can adversely affect mental, emotional, and physical health. They cause anxiety, self-doubt, worry, and depression. Emotional and mental instability leads to the deterioration of the physical body, especially if the burden imposed on them is too much to bear.
These are the types of folks that are hard to please no matter what you do. They will always have something to say about your job even if you have one where you’re highly satisfied and are paid well. They will always nitpick on your appearance even if you dress sharply or have the brightest smile because you use the best teeth whitening light kit and other oral care products. They will always find something negative to say about your house even if you live in a posh neighborhood and your home is well-maintained.
It’s a lot easier — and not to mention cheaper — to walk away from toxic relationships than go through therapy.
2. They keep you from growing and realizing your full potential.
Some of the most obvious traits of a toxic person are blame-shifting and superiority complex. Often, you would hear a toxic person pin the blame on others when things go wrong or always talk down on people as if they are the standard that people need to measure up to. The constant browbeating leads to self-doubt and insecurities, which paralyze people from taking risks and daring to become more than who they are.
If you learn how to mute them, or even better, take them out of your life, you will eventually find yourself soaring and living up to your full potential.
3. Letting them go makes room for healthier relationships.
Relationships are supposed to be healthy and long-lasting. After all, what’s the point in building relationships with people if you don’t intend to make it last, right? However, not all relationships are worth keeping. This is why you also need to learn to be discerning with who you let into your life. The wrong person can undo years of hard work that took you to become the person you are.
When you get to the point where you’re in a toxic relationship, see if you can still do something to save the relationship. Perhaps the person is just going through a rough patch and just needs to be extended some grace and understanding. But you should also know when to draw the line, as more often than not, toxic people tend to become abusive. They may not physically hurt you but they will drain the life out of you.
Ask yourself if the relationship is worth losing yourself. Draw the line and say goodbye to them so that you can make room for other people who can help you be happier and become the best person you can be.
4. You are worth more than they treat you and it’s time for you to realize that.
No one is worth holding on to if they keep you from growing and make you feel trapped and imprisoned. Meaningful relationships are supposed to make you feel valued and not deplete your energy and joy. You should know your worth and not let others determine what your value is.
At the end of the day, toxic relationships can be harmful to a person’s mental health. If you’re in one right now, it’s time for you to put your foot down and stand up for yourself. The line has to be drawn and people need to know you’re no pushover that they can keep taking advantage of. No one else will look after your wellbeing if you don’t take the first step to freedom. Walk away while you still can.
