5 Toxic People Who Holding You Back at Work

It doesn’t matter how nice or well-meaning you are—there’s always going to be that toxic person in your life who wants to vampire the energy right out of you. While toxic people can be anywhere you go, many of them end up in the workplace. According to one study, 80 percent of employees report that their workplace is toxic. 

You probably already have a good sense of who the toxic people in your life are, but for clarity’s sake, there are five you should seriously consider cutting out of your life now and forever. These toxic people are only standing in the way of your success and well-being. 

1. The person who never listens to you 

This isn’t the person who disagrees with you or criticizes you—it is the person who never hears a word you say. You may be excited to hang out with them because they tell such entertaining stories or you just love the conversation, but they never remember the littlest fact about you despite having known you for years. It’s just the way they are and not because they have a problem with you or because you are a bad person. This person just doesn’t care, and that is a problem. 

2. The person who always brings you down 

This person could be your neighbor, colleague, or even your friend. They are constantly putting you down, usually just to make themselves feel better. It’s not that they complain all the time, or that they are a negative person in general, though they may well be. The issue is they need you to feel bad about yourself to make themselves feel better. This negative person must be cut out of your life because that kind of person eats away at your self-confidence. 

3. The person who gets in the way of your taking risks 

For growth and success, you have to take a few calculated risks every now and then. If you have someone in your life who is constantly trying to stop you from taking the necessary risks to reach success and is always putting the brakes on you trying something new, that person is getting in the way of your growth and, ultimately, your long-term success. 

4. The person who always tries to defeat you 

Shared interests are a great reason to keep people in your life. However, there has to be a line drawn between shared passion and constant unhealthy competition. Co-workers should support you, and you should support them. Friendships and work relationships that are all about competition and one-upping are exhausting and unproductive. 

5. The person who always wants to hold you back 

If you can’t change and grow with them, they will do everything they can to hold you back in the past, in both life and business. Cut them loose, as you should spend your present only with people you want to have a future with. Cleaning out your life of these toxic people will make room for the right people. 

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