The nature of your work environment can have a major impact on your mental health, and when you have one or more toxic coworkers on your team, it can make you feel exhausted, unsure of your work quality and even lead to depression and anxiety.
Linkedin reports that toxic coworkers can even have an impact on your mood and health outside the workplace, so learning to identify the signs of such an individual may help you protect your mental and physical well-being both at work and at home.
Toxic coworkers affect your mood
One major sign that you have a toxic coworker in your midst is how he or she affects your mood after speaking or working with them. These individuals can drain your energy and cause you to feel a variety of negative emotions, such as:
- Frustration
- Insecurity regarding your job performance
- Mistrust of the coworker
Over time, these feelings cause you to feel constantly on edge while at work, which could affect your productivity and focus.
A lack of acceptance of errors
Toxic coworkers usually refuse to take responsibility for their own actions or errors. They may either attempt to blame you or others or place themselves in the role of victim to shift attention away from the error. Paying close attention to how a coworker handles mistakes can tell you a great deal about their level of toxicity.
Constant gossiping
While some gossip is typical of almost any workplace environment, toxic coworkers revel in spreading rumors and talking about others. They may even play up to the people they gossip about, especially if it puts them in a more favorable position to a manager or company owner.
Toxic coworkers may also lie, gaslight and intimidate other employees with their words or actions. You may want to speak with managers at your place of employment about the dangers of such individuals and how they can negatively affect a workplace environment.