Experiencing a toxic work environment can take a significant toll on your mental and emotional well-being. Leaving a job that affects your health and well-being is a big step towards regaining your balance. However, the recovery journey can be challenging as you may feel burnt out and feel like you need time to recover physically from chronic fatigue. Or maybe you don't know now how to behave in a healthy work environment and may need to readapt again to normality.

There are so many things that change when you escape a toxic environment and, in this blog, we drafted some tips on how to recover and thrive after you leave your job: 

Acknowledge Your Experience

Take a break and try to reflect on what happened. Journaling is also a great technique to remove your thoughts and feel liberated from frustrations accumulated lately. According to PsychCentral, a 2018 Trusted Source involving 70 adults with elevated anxiety found that online journaling for 12 weeks significantly reduced their mental distress while long-term journaling was also associated with greater resilience. 

Write down what made the environment toxic and how it affected you! It's ok to acknowledge you felt frustrated or affected by some behaviors as this is the first step towards healing. You also need to validate and accept your feelings - we are human beings and as professional as we want to be, if you went through a tough situation, it's normal to have lingering emotions. 

Take a Break

We all just need a break! Try to find a way to have a short break before starting a new job or even a short holiday while you are at your current job to detach and reflect on a plan. Or... I know many professionals go on holiday but still struggle to detach mentally from work. They keep thinking about what to do next and simply can't just take a break!

One aspect that helps you detach mentally is to try new things. If you go to the mountains, try to go on a hike, go paragliding, go rafting, or join a yoga class outside. There are so many activities out there that you can try. Or if you are at the beach, try paddle boarding, make a castle with your friends, or maybe try a new water sport. You will be so concentrated on doing a new thing well that you won't have the mental capability to think about anything work-related. 

Seek Support

Sharing your experience with friends, family, or a therapist can significantly improve your experience and help you remove yourself from any toxic environment. It has been proven that men are less willing to open up about their feelings so we want to encourage you to let yourself feel and acknowledge your feelings before experiencing more serious conditions such as chronic fatigue, chronic anxiety, self-harm thoughts, or other health conditions. Therefore, preventing the sharp edges of our emotions is key to keeping balance and peace in our minds which is something we all seek in our lives.

Reflect and Learn

Reflecting on the red flags you have experienced in your toxic job will help you recognize and avoid similar situations in the future. Also, one's professional experience is full of challenges or people who may try to push your boundaries that we can only learn more. Experiencing such situations improves one's emotional intelligence and capability to manage uncomfortable situations, or how they let such situations affect them. 

Focusing on self-improvement

Being in a toxic environment can really affect a professional's confidence which subsequently affects their job search performance. Therefore, learning new skills or enhancing existing once can combat self-doubt thoughts and boost your confidence levels. 

Many professionals we were in contact with mentioned that improving their skills combined with creating a career plan makes the job search more efficient. Have you done this or did you jump impulsively in the ocean of career possibilities without reflecting on your needs as a professional, your skills, and your career goals?

Research potential Employers

If you've been in a toxic culture, don't just jump into the next opportunity. Take your time to think about what you enjoy or prefer doing, research some companies, see what their former employees have to say about it, or check out websites like Glassdoor to find insights about the salary, company culture, and career development opportunities in that organization. 

During job interviews, you can ask some indirect questions that will clarify some aspects related to company values, work-life balance, or career prospects. This can help you gauge whether the environment will be a good fit for you.

Recovering from a toxic job takes time, patience, and effort. By acknowledging your experience, seeking support, focusing on self-improvement, and carefully choosing your next job, you can move past the negativity and build a happier, more fulfilling career. Remember, your well-being is paramount, and you deserve a work environment that respects and supports you.

If you are looking for a new IT career, check out our jobs at www.antaltechjobs.com.