We know that stress can have a lasting negative impact both physically

and mentally. That makes it important to know how to handle toxic people to
minimize your own involvement and danger.
Handling a toxic person is a process and it takes time. There will good
days and bad days, and you’ll need to call upon all your smarts and emotional
intelligence. Here are some tips:

 Create clear boundaries. When you are talking to a toxic person,

establish a boundary, making sure you do so proactively and deliberately.
If you let things happen naturally, you’re bound to find yourself constantly
entangled in toxic conversations. If you set boundaries and decide when
and where you will engage with a toxic person, you stay in control.
 When they go low, you go high. Toxic people are notorious to for hitting
below the belt, for being cruel and disruptive. Whatever they do, don’t give
in to the temptation to meet them at their level.
 Scan your own emotions. Learn how to scan your own emotions. If you
feel yourself getting upset—and sooner or later it’s likely that you will—
respond to your own emotions rather than any external force. A thoughtful
response is far better than a knee-jerk reaction. When you respond, you
stay in control.
 Be a problem solver, not a problem contributor. When you fixate on
the problems you’re facing, you create and prolong negative emotions and
stress. But when you focus on actions to better yourself and your
circumstances, you create a sense of personal advantage that produces
positive emotions and reduces stress. Toxic people may maintain a
single-minded fixation on their own problems, but you really do have a
choice.
 Check your surroundings. When you find yourself around someone
who’s endangering your thinking and stability, it’s time to regroup—and
maybe even remove yourself physically—so you can move forward in the
best way. Always be aware of your surroundings.
 When you cannot change the situation, you can only change
yourself. When you feel that you’re stuck in a toxic situation or that those
you work with are difficult, it’s time to take back your control. The situation
may be bad, but it doesn’t mean you have to lose control.Regardless of
your situation, you can always be in control of yourself.
 Construct a support system. It’s tempting to think you can
handle toxic people on your own, but in truth it’s important to design your
own support system to gain perspective and give us insight when we need
it most. A successful coach or a qualified mentor may be able to see a
solution you can’t, probably because they’re not as emotionally invested.
 Lead From Within: The only way to handle a toxic person is to be smart
about how you approach them.