Could you be a toxic person without knowing it?
As we embark on the second week of the New Year, let's focus on healing ourselves before throwing around the blame.
When you think about the New Year, many want to start afresh and work on something for the year.
A resolution of sorts. But many a time, we focus on what we don't want from others. This year, we are not accepting toxic people into our lives, we are not forcing friendships, etc.
But what if we looked at things from a point of introspection?
Jamie Mahler, a therapist from the US, has shared that she was once a toxic person and she has used her teachings to heal herself from unhealthy patterns and has become a kinder person.
"The therapist told Insider she didn’t realise how toxic she was until she spent time with her partner’s family: “I genuinely remember thinking, ‘This isn't fake? You actually care and treat each other like this?’” (LadBible)
Her interaction with her partner's family pushed her to enrol in graduate school and study therapy.
She outlines three key signs of a toxic person.
"The first is ‘passive agressiveness’, explaining that she thought her family’s passive aggressive comments to each other were a ‘normal way people solved their problems’." (LadBible) She has learnt that being direct in asking for what you want is fundamentally healthier than using passive aggression.
For more from East Coast Radio
"The next sign is ‘seeking constant validation from partners’." (LadBible)
Asking her partner to affirm her feelings about her appearance ended in her being annoyed by them when she didn't feel good. We guess this is why self-love is such a vital part of healing.
"Mahler said: “The purpose of a relationship isn’t to use each other. It’s to honour and celebrate each other.” (LadBible)
The third sign is 'staying in unfulfilling friendships'. This is something that cannot be stressed enough in life. Far too often, we stay in relationships with friends, family, co-workers, and the like for all the wrong reasons.
Setting healthy boundaries and leaving friendships that you feel are not good for you is acceptable and you should normalise it for you.
HOW TO LISTEN TO EAST COAST RADIO
- Listen to East Coast Radio on the FM (frequency modulation) spectrum between 94 and 95 FM on your radio.
- Listen live to ECR by clicking here or download the ECR App (iOS/Android).
- Listen to East Coast Radio on the DStv audio bouquet, channel 836.
- Switch to the audio bouquet on your Openview decoder and browse to channel 606
- Listen to us on Amazon Alexa.
Image Courtesy of iStock/Prostock-Studio