How To Manage Toxic Relationships

Whether from home, work or friends, it’s important to give your body and mind a break from toxic influences for several reasons:

1. To reduce stress
2. To make it easier to focus on your work
3. To remain motivated
4. To maintain a positive attitude
5. To allow yourself to be the best that you can be
6. To avoid depression

To avoid the damage that a build-up of toxic influences can cause, the best remedy is to allow yourself a reprieve from routine. By taking time out for yourself, you allow time for solitude and peace, and in doing so recharge your body and soul. This enables you to become aware of unnecessary baggage in your life that may not otherwise have been released.

Being stuck in a routine can stop us from focusing on what we really want in life. To ensure that your future is all that you wish for, plotting a course that will move you towards your goals is important. Therefore, taking a break from life’s toxic influences is a must-do for everyone.

While this may seem overwhelming and even impossible, keep the following in mind to guide you:

Identify the toxicity

The first step is simply being able to recognize and understand the toxic influences that are present. Some are obvious, but you may be exposed to many that you don’t even recognise. For example, do you have that one family member who constantly complains about others? Or is your television frequently turned to the news, giving you a steady stream of negative updates about the world? Take a moment to identify all the various sources of toxic influence in your life – the things that drag down your mood and cause you to inadvertently think about life’s negatives.

Change your own perception of negativity

Something that we need to realise is that there is life outside our mind. Although we interpret and judge any action that happens within our environment, we are much better off detaching our actions from theirs.   For example, when a colleague walks past and gives you ‘the look’, what would your natural reaction be in your head? Probably something like: “What did I do to him to deserve this look? Why does he not like me?’ However, if you were able to see what is going on in your colleague’s head, it would look more like: ‘I wish I hadn’t argued with my wife last night, I’m going to struggle in that meeting today.’ He may have not even noticed that he gave you a stare.

Use tact

You may not be able to tell your negative family member to simply be quiet, however you can try to steer unconstructive conversations around by talking about positive subjects. When it comes to situations such as the news example above, take it in small doses and avoid constant exposure. While you need to be aware of what is happening in the world, it is unfair to feel burdened by things you can’t change. Escaping destructive influences in a tactful way is important.

Take some time

Finally, just be sure to give yourself some downtime each day. It can be as simple as popping in your headphones and relaxing with a cup of tea and your favourite music, or why not take yourself to see a new movie or go for a hike? Consciously taking some time out for yourself so that you can recharge and refocus is an important part of escaping toxic influences.

Effectively, if you project any negative vibes onto yourself, you can too easily absorb them. When you take the time to break away from everyday toxic influences, you’ll notice many different parts of your life benefit as a result. It’s well worth doing, and easier than you think.

If you are really serious about eliminating toxic relationships from your life, taking yourself off on a yoga retreat can be a transformative and complete mind, body and soul experience to help you regain control of your life.

Article by Nadine Lafleur, yoga instructor and founder of Bali Bliss Retreats