If You’re In Lockdown With A Toxic Person, Do These 5 Things

During these unprecedented times, many people are forced to stay at home with a toxic partner or a toxic parent or a toxic roommate. Our daily lives came to a stop and we definitely didn’t prepare for these circumstances. We didn’t really plan an exit strategy because we were always distracting ourselves with our day to day chores and responsibilities. We weren’t really thinking long-term.

If you’re stuck at home with a toxic person, know you’re not alone and that you can do a few things to cope with such an unfortunate situation without completely losing your mind.

1. Stay connected: Don’t isolate yourself from your friends or the people who normally support you during difficult times. Call them often, talk to them about your problems and reach out to them when you’re anxious or depressed. Staying connected to the people you love and the people who make you happy alleviates the heaviness of living with someone who stresses you out and helps raise your vibrations when your energy is low.

2. Isolate yourself at home: While this may contradict the first point, but it will help you maintain your distance inside your home and set up boundaries with your toxic parent or partner or roommate. Make your own space and try to limit your interaction with them because engaging with them could result in more trouble or fights or insults. It’s easy when you’re stuck with a toxic person to lose your temper but the trick here is to completely distance yourself from that person. If you can’t distance yourself physically, you have to distance yourself mentally from them by ignoring everything they’re telling you and all the ways they try to put you down instead of fighting them back.

3. Find little things that make you feel better. Whether it’s going for a walk in your neighborhood, watering your plants, cooking, sewing or watching a funny movie. Do more of the little things that raise your vibrations or put you in a lighter mood. Sometimes escaping reality for a few hours rejuvenates our spirits even if it’s just for a moment and gives us more energy to fight our daily battles.

4. Look out for manipulative behavior. Toxic people are master manipulators. They can still do random acts of love and kindness to keep you around or ask you for favors. If you feel like you’re being manipulated to do something you’re not convinced with, take a moment to evaluate this person’s true intentions and whether this is another act or not and it will soon be over once they get what they want. Toxic people take advantage of moments of weakness so make sure you’re not being manipulated or tricked into doing things you don’t want to do.

5. If you can find another shelter, do not hesitate to go. If the relationship becomes abusive or too much to handle and it’s making you miserable or depressed, it’s time to seriously consider moving out, against all odds. Maybe your friend has an empty basement or a guest house they’re not really using or maybe you have some savings to rent out another place for a few months. Not many people have that option, but if you can find a place that can shelter you even for a month or two, do not hesitate to move. At the end of the day, saving yourself should be your first priority and if you can strip away the toxic person from their power and control then by all means DO IT.