PAUSE – You May be in a Toxic Environment

Most professionals are trapped in a severe stress disorders (SSD) loop and hardly realise it until it is too late. I have found that many people I know who experienced SSD either have been or are still in toxic environments. Unfortunately, toxic environments always come with high stakes. Pay is good, the company is large, a great brand and performance expectations are supernormal and highly competitive.

I recently met with a friend who had spent more than a decade in an executive role in one of the world’s largest companies. After a few minutes of talking about our careers across companies, I found out we had both been in environments where we had suffered SSD, and we didn’t realise it until we left the environment. ?Have you ever felt like you are just working to stop the next bombshell? Were you constantly on edge or looking for different ways your colleagues may be sabotaging you? Both our eyes lit up. SSD is one of the disorders that, if not addressed, may run you to the point of depression. ?

Many professionals are in these environments. They are well paid or at least given the impression that they are. They believe in the brand they work for and that they are making a difference in the world.

However, there are a few things to look out for in assessing how your workplace may be drowning you in SSD without your knowing. It is also essential that leaders constantly assess these points to determine if they are creating a healthy or toxic workplace.

1.??????If something went wrong or deviated from expectations, is your first thought how we fix it or what the consequences of that deviation?

2.??????If you got a phone call from your manager, is your first thought more towards fear than otherwise?

3.??????After what you believe is a good period, if a review meeting was scheduled for you, do you feel the need to justify your performance or you are positive you would walk out with praises?

If your answer to any of the questions above is yes, then you may be in a toxic environment.

I discovered I had suffered SSD a few weeks after transitioning from one of the companies I used to work for. I recall going into meetings during the transition and I would have so much anxiety at the slightest deviation from the plan. I recall getting calls from my stakeholder, and my first thought was the hope that nothing had gone wrong. It didn’t take long before I realised how much it affected everything and everyone around me. I needed help. I reached out to my life coach, and it took months before my SSD was fully cleared.

We live in a world where stress is only acknowledged when the person is physically tired, and the standard recommendation is to take out time to rest, exercise and go on holidays. This is useless without understanding the source of your SSD. I work out 5 to 6 days a week, I rest well, and I hardly missed my one-month time off in a year but until I understood the source of my SSD, I was never able to beat it. After over two decades of working high-pressure jobs, I have found that it takes a very trained mind (and a lucky one too) to understand and address the source of stress.

What you do matters; the problem is that you are not the only one who can do it. Someone else will be available to take your place the moment you are incapable. So why tolerate a toxic environment?

Are you in a toxic environment? In the next episode of the Growthpreneur Chronicles, I will walk you through the steps I took to cure my SSD.

P.S – ?I am not a therapist. This writing is based on my personal experience. If you're experiencing any mental health challenges, please seek professional support, just like I did.?