Although we try our hardest to get along with the people in our lives, there can be certain people that are more difficult to get along with than others. Things get even more complicated when those people happen to be family members. Although family usually has a positive connotation (as it most certainly should), there are certainly some cases where family does more harm than good. These toxic family dynamics can negatively affect many aspects of our lives and ultimately take a toll on our overall health and productivity. By learning to prioritize ourselves and our mental health, we can successfully navigate around the difficult and toxic members of our lives. Here, we’ll explain how we keep ourselves happy and healthy while not radiating the same negativity that we receive.
Realize your self worth
First, it’s important to realize that the negativity you receive has nothing to do with your actions towards the individual treating you negatively. Toxic people will be toxic, even if you go above and beyond in your efforts to make them happy. The mean comments and behaviour you receive shouldn’t be seen as a reflection of your actions or self worth in any sense. Your self worth is associated with how you view yourself, and you should never let the negativity enter your head.
Create some Distance
In most cases of toxic family members, the person that behaves rudely is someone you grow up trying your hardest to love. You want a reciprocation of the love from them, but there comes a certain point where the expectation for that love should stop. Despite many calm conversations and explanation sessions, no consensus can ever be achieved about their treatment towards you. Even if the person is aware of their ill behavior, they don’t want to acknowledge and stop it. At this point, you should begin to mentally distance yourself from the negativity that emanates from that person. It may be really hard; especially if you live with them or are always in their presence. However, this distance will help you focus on things that are important in your life, and not on the person that is bothering you. Look to the people in your life who provide unconditional love: your friends and other family members. If creating this distance becomes too difficult, get other members of your life involved to help you sort out issues and conflicts.
It can be really mentally exhausting to deal with toxic people, but at the end of the day, you should always focus on the people who do matter to you and to whom you matter, too. You’ll thank yourself for not giving in to the negativity of people, even if they are family. It will be really hard and mentally straining, but your happiness matters most; not just to you, but even to the people that love you!