Having close friends at the office makes you happy and productive in the workplace and there are chances that you work and perform well without quitting the job sooner than desired. However, office friendships may get you into emotional trauma if they are exhausting your mind. Your work may get affected negatively and you may end up being unproductive too.
For example, your friend is demanding you to go out for a cup of coffee in the break session but you have got to complete some other task as your team lead has asked you to. If your friend forces you, gets angry while not talking properly later or passing rude comments then it drains your positive energy. Let us find some bold signs of emotionally draining friendship here.
- Your friend neglecting you in the office and trying to spend more time with other colleagues makes you feel jealous.
- They are not communicating the issues bothering your friendship.
- Blaming you in most of the discussions and showing themselves as a victim.
- Using unfamiliar tone
- Crossing personal boundaries and break into things which you don’t want to share
- Emotionally draining you to not to meet friends outside work
If such signs are evident in your life and you wish to learn how to deal with toxic friendships, here are some solutions.
How To Deal With Toxic Friends At Work?
- Start Establishing Boundaries
Finding personal peace even when you have a friend in the office is much more desirable. No one is allowed to get into your personal space and you have to make sure about it with your considerate actions. You can make these boundaries by being honest and direct in a very polite manner so that your views are expressed without hurting your friend. If they still do not understand that you need space, keep a safe distance from them.
- Narrow Down Interactions
If you are dealing with a toxic friend at work, you need to decide where you want to draw a line. Notice if they are sharing their problems with you and always whining about it. Help them only in the cases where you can do so and for the rest of the problems, ask them to connect with someone who can help. Ask them to see a coach very politely and talk only when required.
- Empower Your Friend
Make sure that the conversation with your emotionally draining friend is focused on their problems so that you can find out ways to solve them. You can offer them advice and ask them to come with their own plan of action. However, if they come back again with the same problems, remind them that even though you want to help them, it is a little exhausting for you to listen to you complaining about the same thing.
- Practice Self Care
Regular emotional drain can leave you in a poor state and you need to take care of yourself to counteract the stress. Try to take a break from work and spend time taking a walk in the premises, reading a good book, sipping coffee all alone, practicing breathing exercises, etc. All you have to do is take good enough time in doing those activities which counteract rumination.
- Distance Yourself
It is OK to accept that not all friendships can last longer and some toxic friendships need to come to an end. If you feel that you are being taken advantage of and there is nothing positive coming back in return from this friendship then form some distance positively. It is because you need to realize that the particular person is not a good fit for your mental health and hampering your health. In case your friend asks you the change in your behavior and the reasons for not hanging out with them anymore, be very honest about your opinion and things which you do not like these days about them.
- Know Your Own Limits
Figure out your limits before diving into anything else. Ask yourself how much time you shall devote to your friend in order to save yourself from being emotionally drained. It isn’t that you will be termed as selfish but it is about saving yourself and giving priority to your ideas. You can choose to be good friends with them without sacrificing your peace. All you need to do is practice good care of yourself and be honest with your friend.
Conclusion
We hope that you have found out how to keep yourself safe and secure from emotionally draining friendships at the workplace. What is your view on the same aspect and how are you planning to keep yourself distant from toxic friendships? Share your thoughts and ideas with us in the comments section below.
