Alarming Ways Workplace Toxicity Can Affect Your Mental Health

A negative work environment can bring out the worst in you; if you let it, it might even suck the life out of you! Most of us have dealt with this at some point in our lives. Unfortunately, people don’t always notice the effects of a toxic workplace until it’s caused some major damage.

Needless to say, staying in a toxic workplace is not healthy, especially if it has started affecting you emotionally and mentally. The good news is, contrary to popular opinion, youcanescape a toxic work environment before it’s too late.

What does workplace toxicity look like?

The effects of a toxic workplace can take different forms. You might see them right away, or they build up over time. Here are some examples.

Long hours and sickness

Andy* started a new job in software development. During his interview, he asked about the projects that the company was working on and was excited about them. Shortly after starting, he noticed that regularly working overtime was part of the team culture. Colleagues kept messaging him after office hours or during the weekend, even for non-urgent concerns.

Andy liked the work itself and the projects. However, he was always exhausted from working long hours. He tried discussing it with his manager, but the workload continued as is. Andy kept going for nearly two years but realised that he had to do something about it when his health was affected. He was getting sick more often due to fatigue, and he was having trouble sleeping because he was too wired after work. Some days, he found that he didn’t have much appetite to eat because he had too much work to think about. He valued his health more than his job, so he began exploring other opportunities.

Mistrust and anxiety

Sarah was looking for a job in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic and found a communications role in healthcare which sounded promising. The organisation she applied to was well-known and had good compensation and benefits. A few months into the job, however, she noticed that the goals of the team were not clear, and people were unmotivated to work. She heard whispers of anger towards their boss because there was no clear communication of the work that needed to be done, and employees noticed that the boss played favourites.

Sarah kept her head down and focused on her job. But, at some point, she was getting frustrated because the boss was never clear with directions for tasks. Some of her teammates also discredited her work. She found herself always angry when at work, and that cloud of anger meant it was harder for her to focus and work efficiently. She was also always anxious because of the lack of direction in her work and did not trust anyone in the team. After a year, she began looking for job again because she realised she couldn’t stay angry every day and feel stressed. Sarah had acknowledged that she was feeling the effects of a toxic work environment. She wanted to collaborate with teammates and work with a clear direction. Those were things she couldn’t find in her current work.

Like Andy and Sarah, they both noticed how a toxic work environment can take its toll on physical and mental health. Toxic workplaces can affect you in different ways, so it’s important that you understand how it can take its toll on you.

How does a toxic work environment affect you?

1. It can lead to a decrease in your energy and productivity.

It’s normal to complain, but too much of it can create negative energy in a workplace. Even worse, negative energy spreads easily and quickly. Do you find your colleagues complaining a lot but not doing anything constructive to solve the problem? Do you join in just to fit in? Too much negative energy in the team can also hurt your productivity.

2. It can hurt camaraderie and team spirit.

A lack of team spirit is just as bad for the company as it is for its employees. People learn and grow much better as a community than in isolation.

When a problem arises, is there immediate finger-pointing and blame-shifting happening? Scenarios like this are a breeding ground for toxic work environments. Besides being counter-productive, it doesn’t promote team spirit or accountability, both of which are important values of an empowered workforce.

When one is constantly exposed to these scenarios, it’s hard not to be affected or hurt. If you find yourself feeling pessimistic and critical of your job and the people you work with, there’s a good chance you’re not in a conducive environment.

You spend, on average, a minimum of 8 hours a day, five days a week, at work. At the very least, being civil with our colleagues improves our productivity and keeps us motivated. If you have problems getting along with your co-workers, it’s highly likely you’re not having a great time in the office.

3. It can build distrust between management and the team.

Does your boss trust your judgement and encourage you to work independently, or do you find him/her micromanaging you? Working in a controlling environment increases one’s self-doubt and erodes confidence over time. Being micromanaged is never a good thing if you value personal and professional growth. Plus, it could mean that your boss doesn’t trust you to deliver your work.

As for your team, do your colleagues work together to achieve a common goal, or do they seem to have individual agendas? Is backstabbing a common occurrence in your workplace? If yes, you probably don’t have a high level of trust in your colleagues because you never know what they say about you. You might also be leery of opening up to them with your concerns because they might use these against you in the future.

Trust is one of the key attributes of a healthy working environment. Leadership that fails to trust its employees will inevitably fail to retain talent. Similarly, a lack of trust between co-workers will likely breed conflict and animosity, like with Sarah.

4. It can stifle your career growth.

Growth is important for your career. This can take the form of learning opportunities or a career path, as discussed with your manager. If the organisation doesn’t encourage you to find learning opportunities, that’s one way your career growth will be affected.

Also, consider mobility and mentorship in the organisation. Are younger or new employees mentored and guided accordingly? Are there opportunities for you to explore if you want to move to a different job? How does your manager feel about mobility? If your answers to these questions are no, then career growth isn’t a priority for the organisation and can hurt yours too.

5. It can hurt your health and well-being.

One of the bigger ways that workplace toxicity can affect you is through your physical and mental health. Physically, you might find yourself having trouble sleeping because you’re anxious. Or you could have less of an appetite even though you’re hungry. Perhaps, you find yourself having more headaches or hair falls due to stress.

In connection with insomnia and anxiety, you might find yourself constantly overthinking your actions at work or worrying about what people are saying behind your back. You might always be angry or frustrated with your colleagues or your boss. Feeling these negative emotions can affect your moods and focus, which also leads to a decline in your productivity.

Or perhaps you’re feeling burnt out from the lack of work-life balance, and you see your moods are more erratic. Negative emotions and poor mental well-being could lead to depression or anxiety.

How can you handle a toxic work environment?

If you think that you want to make it work even in such circumstances, there are some things youcando to handle a toxic work environment. First, taking care of your overall health and well-being is important. Make sure you get to move, even when it just means taking a short walk around the neighbourhood. Get enough sleep and eat nutritious meals.

Avoid office gossip, take breaks, and find a support group outside of work. Keep your chin up when it gets tough. Acknowledge your negative emotions, but avoid dwelling in them.

Talk to your manager again and raise the problems you’ve encountered. Keep a level head and do your best to be objective when you’re explaining things. The last thing you want is to be considered too emotional.

Can you still counter the effects of a toxic workplace?

If you’ve raised your concerns but haven’t seen any noticeable improvements, and it’s affecting your mental and emotional well-being, perhaps it’s time to move on to a better company fit. Just in case you need more affirmation, here are some more signs that you need to change your career direction.

On the other hand, remember that you may need to reflect from time to time and think about your circumstances. Maybe this is just short-term stress for yourself and your colleagues because it’s a busy season or you’re in the middle of a big project. After all, there’s no point in staying in a place that adds unnecessary stress to your life if it’s a recurring problem.

Your career is important, but so are your health and well-being. Take control of your life and #LetsGetToWork. Update your profile at JobStreet and find work that will bring you passion and purpose.

Don’t forget to check out our Career Resources Hub for more expert tips and advice on work life and well-being.