‘Want to know the reasons for leaving a toxic environment? Here is everything you need to know.
“In a toxic environment, we cannot expect anything positive to grow.” – Unknown –
In this post, you will discover why leaving a toxic environment is better for your mental health than staying.
Once you learn all these vital truths, you will be compelled to remove yourself from the environment that doesn’t give you the peace you deserve.
This post is all about leaving a toxic environment so that you can move on to a place where you can flourish and have peace of mind.
Leaving a Toxic Environment
Sometimes setting boundaries and enforcing boundaries against some people only makes them angrier and more determined to get you. And when standing up to bullying doesn’t work, it’s best to remove yourself from the environment.
But, know that you aren’t running from them, no matter what others may tell you. You are only doing what you know is best. Here’s why you should get out of the environment when defending yourself only makes things worse.
The Environment That Conditions You Most
What is the environment that conditions and shapes you the most when you’re in school or working? I’ll give you a hint: It isn’t the home!
Our environments determine our mental health. They have ways of molding and shaping us, especially during our formative years.
For example, a child who grows up in an abusive environment is more than likely going to either grow up to be an abusive adult. Or they will grow up to be weakened and powerless.
Remember that a person’s formative years (childhood) are the most impressionable and they determine their future!
Yes, there are exceptions to this rule. A few kids develop a strong sense of self, either through dogged determination or an outside mentor. Those are the kids who make it out and create successful lives for themselves.
However, most do not, and it’s sad.
Leaving a Toxic Environment:
You have three types of environments
- Nourishing Environment (Very Healthy)
- Neutral Environment (Somewhat Healthy)
- Toxic Environment (Unhealthy)
Understand that the environment you spend most of your day in will condition you. And if you spend most of your day-to-day life in a bullying environment, your mental health will suffer!
For example, a certain kid lives in a loving and healthy home. But his classmates at school bully him mercilessly and without fail.
the math
A child or teen needs about 10 hours of sleep per day. So, subtract 10 hours from 24 hours, and you’re left with a total of 14 waking hours.
The average young student then spends about 8 hours per day in school. Subtract 8 hours from 14 waking hours, and you have only six waking hours away from school.
Then we must factor in school bus or commuting time. For the average kid, the trip is about 30 minutes to 1 hour each way, unless they are a car rider.
Therefore, that’s 1-2 hours round-trip. Keep in mind that most kids who are bullied at school are also bullied on the bus.
Subtract that from 6 waking hours. The child now has only 4-5 waking hours at home in her loving, nourishing environment.
Leaving a Toxic Environment:
In Simplest Terms
24 Hours (One Day)
-10 hours (Sleep)
-8 hours (School)
-1 or 2 hours (bus)
= only 4 to 5 hours awake at home
A bullied child spends twice as many waking hours in a toxic school environment as they do at home. Therefore, the bullying he suffers in class will nullify the love and acceptance he gets at home.
And he will be conditioned either to hate himself or not to think much of himself. Why? Because he spends more time with his bullying peers than he spends with his loving and accepting family.
In other words, he’s still more likely to have self-esteem issues and lack confidence.
What happens to bullied kids who come from toxic homes?
This goes double for bullied kids who come from abusive homes. The mental health of someone who is bullied at school and abused or neglected at home will take an even bigger hit.
Why? Because they never get a reprieve from bullying. Abuse at home is a form of bullying in and of itself.
Leaving a Toxic Environment:
This bears repeating.
How a student is treated in class has a significant impact on their mental health. It doesn’t matter how loving and nurturing their home life is.
Granted, having a positive home life does help. However, the bullying a child suffers at school will likely negate any love and acceptance she receives at home.
how to reverse the damage school bullies cause
The good news is that there are ways to mitigate the damage caused by school bullying. You can save your child’s mental health.
1. Create Opportunities for them to make friends away from school.
You could enroll your child in a martial arts class or a scout troop. You might even get them involved in a function in your church.
This will create more positive social experiences for them. It will create an even balance between the bullying they suffer and the friendships they enjoy.
Even better, it might even tip the scales and create more positive experiences and social interactions.
Therefore, the resulting rise in positive experiences and interactions will buffer the kid’s self-esteem. In other words, the bullying they suffer in the classroom won’t affect them as much.
Here are other things you can do for your child. You can help them create more positive connections and experiences by sending them to summer camp.
Also, you can do it by allowing them to attend neighborhood family cookouts where other kids are present.
There are many opportunities to seize. So, go for it! Give your bullied child these wonderful experiences. They will turn into awesome memories that will last a lifetime.
Leaving a Toxic Environment:
But what if the bullying still has a big impact?
You still may need to move away. Relocating may be a last resort. However, it is still a wise option if nothing else works. Remember, nothing is worth your or your child’s mental health.
If you cannot afford to move, I understand. However, if you have a bullied child, it is still easier to move them to another school. If you are being bullied at work, you can create an exit plan and find other employment.
Realize that you aren’t “chicken” for getting away from bullying. Getting out of any toxic situation isn’t “running away from your problems.” It’s self-care.
So, why should you leave the bullying environment if all else fails?
1. To get away from drama and toxicity
Life is too short to put up with other people’s bullshit. So, why not spend your life in a healthy place? Drama is exhausting. It depletes your physical and mental energy.
Therefore, it’s better to go where you can enjoy learning or working.
2. Leaving a Toxic Environment:
To go where you can grow and flourish.
When you’re in the right environment, one that is accepting, loving, and nurturing, you not only survive, you also thrive. Therefore, go where you can grow and flourish.
In a positive environment, under the right conditions, you feel free to be yourself. You can express your own ideas and opinions without fear.
Also, you can feel safe and secure. You can be confident and build positive relationships with others. This gives you the freedom to be creative and show your talents.
The people around you will encourage and support you. They will be cooperative and give you the freedom to be and do what you want.
Most importantly, they will nudge and push you to be your best. This is the kind of environment that nurtures your soul.
Whereas, in a toxic environment, one that is oppressive, you may only survive. In other words, you may only squeeze by if you’re lucky!
But even if you survive, you won’t grow. You’ll only stagnate, or worse, regress. Instead of flourishing, you’ll only wither.
3. To ensure your safety.
In a toxic environment, under terrible conditions, you aren’t free. You’re only a prisoner. You’re a slave – a victim. You need more than just food and water to survive; you also need positivity from your environment.
You need positive people around you. Human beings need all these things. They need diverse experiences, not sameness.
Sadly, a toxic, bullying environment only promotes sameness. It doesn’t tolerate any form of diversity because it loathes anything different.
Environmental stimuli have a huge impact on your psyche and social interactions. It can make you bitter or better. Your environment can cause progression or regression.
Therefore, you must remove yourself from an environment that sucks the oxygen out of you. It may not always be easy, but it’s a must if you want to salvage your self-esteem and mental health.
In doing so, you will save yourself a lot of stress and heartache. Also, you will save yourself months of recovery.
4. Leaving a Toxic Environment:
To make new friends.
When you leave a toxic environment and move to a healthy one, you give yourself the gift of a clean slate. As a result, you can start anew. You can reinvent yourself by putting your best foot forward.
Therefore, you create the opportunity to make new friends. For instance, if bullies in the old place trashed your reputation, that won’t matter here.
Why? Because you have no history with the people in your new environment. Moreover, there’s a lower chance that your reputation in your old place will follow you to the new one.
Therefore, these total strangers will be excellent opportunities to make good friends and keep them.
5. To increase your life-chances.
You have no opportunities in a bullying environment. For instance, if you’re bullied in a town, you’re least likely to gain employment. And your ability to make friends will be compromised because others will be too busy judging you.
When you escape a toxic environment, your chances for dating and marriage will increase. Chances for friendship will also rise. Moreover, you will more likely achieve gainful employment.
In a new, healthier environment, nothing can stop you!
Leaving a Toxic Environment:
Distance Can Be a Good Thing
Dealing with people who criticize you daily can quickly wear you down and break your spirit. Sadly, many people disrespect the same victim repeatedly over several years.
If you find yourself in this situation, those people will eventually train you to tolerate it if you aren’t careful. Therefore, you must do what you must to safeguard your mind. If that means leaving, then why not?
More Leaving A Toxic Environment Quotes
“Never fear leaving a toxic environment. Be true and caring to yourself. Trust there is peace and positivity out there.” – Brendon Burchard –
“In a toxic environment, we cannot expect anything to grow.” – Unknown –
It’s the people who make an environment toxic. Leaving is always best.
This post is all about leaving a toxic environment and why it’s the best thing to do.
Related posts you’ll enjoy:
1. Bullying and Psychological Conditioning
🙏🌹
Aum Shanti
Thank you so much, Shanti.