9 Toxic Work Habits You Need To Break RN!

9 Toxic Work Habits You Need To Break RN!

Work life can be really challenging with the overbearing boss, the ridiculous deadlines, and the coworkers who are always present to make your life miserable. Amidst all the negativity that is bound to exist in an office, there might just be several things you are doing to make it all worse.

Let’s face it, there will be good days and there will be horrible ones. What matters is how we handle them. So here are 9 toxic work habits you might want to cut out in order to change your life at work for the better!

Being the gossip queen

1. Being the gossip queen

It’s always fun to hear about what Pooja said to Neha, and what Anjali did to Payal, but you definitely don’t want to be the person who everyone comes to for their daily dose of entertainment. Sharing your opinion about someone’s way of eating or their dressing sense won’t really benefit you in anyway. So, unless you have something nice to say, stay mum!

2. Having the “it’s not my job” mentality

It’s not only you, but 85% of people in a work environment are working on tasks that are nowhere close to what their job description was on the contract paper! So the next time there’s a problem with the printer and you know how to fix it, just do it! What’s more, doing things that are not necessarily your job could mean you learn a new skill in the bargain, or even get noticed by your boss for the extra effort. Hello, appraisal!

Taking things too personally

3. Taking things too personally

Accept the fact that not everything will be about you. So don’t get offended by every little thing that happens around you. For instance, your colleague getting promoted doesn’t mean you’ve done a bad job. Just do your best, and move on!

4. Following the herd

If you’re working in a creative field, the last thing you want to do is follow the herd. Think independently, and don’t be swayed by everybody else’s opinion. That’s the only way you will stand out.

Being on social media all the time

5. Being on social media all the time

Watching cute dog videos on Instagram is definitely not the way to go… even if you are the social media manager! Eventually your boss will get to know what’s going on, and that won’t be pretty. Keep the activity on your phone limited to work during work hours, and focus on your job!

6. Resisting change

The structure of any work environment is bound to change and you need to adapt to it. So if the Monday morning meetings are shifted to Wednesday evenings, stop whining about it and get with the program. Friendly reminder: Stop being difficult about everything.

Being a perfectionist in every little thing you do

7. Being a perfectionist in every little thing you do

Do you read the email 5 times before you send it off? I mean, it’s okay to make sure you are sending it to the right person, or that it doesn’t have too many mistakes, but obsessing over every little detail is not okay! It’s a waste of time, and trust me, you won’t be appreciated for it.

8. Comparing yourself or your work with your peers

Healthy competition is good, but the constant comparing really needs to stop. It’s far better to compete with yourself, and improve your performance every day, than it is to measure yourself up against someone else. In the long run, comparing yourself with others can lead to a very toxic environment.

Avoiding face-to-face communication

9. Avoiding face-to-face communication

The game of Chinese whispers is all too common at work, but it leads to unnecessary turmoil. Don’t be afraid to have a face-to-face communications with the person in charge during any conflict, rather than letting the rumour mills churn. Transparency is the best policy.

Kreena Desai

Hauterfly's Content Writer and Video Producer, Kreena is a sucker for all things DIY. In love with nail art, beauty, fashion, textiles, and all things creative under the sun, she follows the mantra: Why buy, when you can DIY?!

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