Distance Yourself from Them!
Jun 07, 2024
We often meet people whose presence leaves us feeling drained, emotionally wounded, or manipulated. These toxic relationships, whether family, friends or acquaintances can be very challenging for our overall well-being.
What you have to learn, which is why you are here, are the strategies to protect yourself from their sneaky behavior that can sometimes affect not just your mental health but emotional and physical health as well.
STEP 1: Acceptance
I know you're not going to like this, and I know sometimes it can be very difficult to do but the quicker you can except that you are not going to change this person nor are you going to be able to control their actions this will help you tremendously. A big part of your struggle right now is the lack of acceptance of who they are and how they behave. No matter how unfair or unjust acceptance will give you the freedom that you need to not be so charged by this person.
STEP 2: Self-Awareness
You may not understand why this is so incredibly important, but it is in terms of how you respond to this person. Understanding how they trigger you to understand your emotional response to them is going to help you to take more control over how you feel by what they do. This will also help you to start being aware of the patterns that this person does that are toxic and unhealthy. This means that you will start to have more control in situations to not allow them to emotionally abuse you.
STEP 3: Education
If you have been with me for a while you will know that this channel and anything else that I put out there is a library of information. I cannot tell you how important it is to educate yourself on different types of behaviors manipulative tactics gaslighting all of these aspects of psychology and relationships that will help you to improve your own well-being but also help you to better understand the people that you do come in contact with.
I do want to stress that education is not the end here. You're not going to learn everything about something and become healthy. You will need to learn as much as you can about different terminology and behaviors while also working on yourself. What i mean by that is how you take care of yourself when you are triggered. Working on your own insecurities and vulnerabilities. Those are the things you are doing on the side while also going to the school of narcissism and learning everything you need to know about this type of personality so when they behave in a certain way you do not allow yourself to get manipulated or taken advantage of.
STEP 4: Self-Respect
Establishing and enforcing boundaries is an act of self-respect. Setting clear boundaries is not enough; you absolutely must also be consistent. You want to ask yourself where you struggle with boundaries. Do you struggle establishing them, enforce them, or being constant with them?
STEP 5: Emotional Protection
Protecting yourself comes with a few things that we all must practice and master.
- You cannot internalize the negativity, manipulation, or abuse directed at you. What everyone does to you is never about you, it is about them. They are either comfortable and projection that onto you. They are selfish and want to manipulate you to get what they want or truly internally unhappy which makes them want to tear someone else down.
- You must prioritize your own emotional well-being. That means there must be boundaries not only with them but within yourself to look after yourself. You must work on yourself so you cannot be a person that can be influenced by their toxic behavior.
STEP 6: Evaluating the Relationship
There is a cost-benefit ratio of all relationships. What is the benefit of having this person in your life and what are your fears about leaving this relationship if it got to that point? While severing ties may seem too extreme, especially with family or longstanding friendships, it's important to realize that this thinking is just you projecting still who you want this person to be in your life. It is also necessary to realize that at this point in your life you truly do not need anyone that does not benefit your life. Once you embrace that you can make healthier decisions about who should be in your life or not.
