Gaslighting at work is just as insidious as your toxic friends or family. In fact, they work in an environment that offers additional ways to make you look bad.
Gaslight at work can turn your environment into a toxic hellscape. All they need is a way to make you seem like a liar or worse “crazy”.
Unfortunately, most of us work with someone who regularly uses gas lighting as a weapon. They either use it to get ahead of you or fire you. You should be careful when dealing with these people.
Recognition of a gaslighter at work
At work you will encounter many types of people with different characteristics. It’s hard to get used to being around these people in a work environment, as opposed to family or friends. So if you are faced with a gaslighting colleaguethe environment becomes even worse.
Gaslight can behave in many strange ways, including telling you that you said things that you didn’t, and even telling you that you didn’t do things that you clearly remember.
Signs of gas lighting at work:
- dismissals without due process
- lies and open criticism
- refusal to conduct honest investigations
- unfair disciplinary actions
- failure to release important information
- lack of transparency
- open mockery
How to destroy a gaslighter at work
So how do we shut them down? Better yet, how do we eliminate the gaslighters at work so they will think about mistreating people again? Well, it’s not easy, but we can try some of the following:
1. Collect the facts
The first thing you want to do is gather the facts. Those who turn you on will never admit what they do. This is because they usually have a narcissistic personality disorder. Therefore, exposing them without evidence rarely succeeds.
Instead, write down all the inconsistencies and lies they tell. While proving what a gaslighter does can be difficult, it’s not impossible, and it’s best to have all the facts.
2. Be vigilant
Stay alert, watch for body language and sudden changes in behavior. Sometimes you can tell when a gaslighter is about to spew nonsense.
If you’ve been abused for a long time, you’ll learn to recognize things before they happen. If you stay vigilant, you can catch these toxic people and call them to action. It lets them know you’re onto them and they might think twice before doing anything nefarious, at least for the time being.
3. Monitor performance
If you are a boss who suspects that one of your employees may be gaslighting or something manipulative actionsthe victim may show signs of reduced work capacity.
Gaslighting affects mental health to such an extent that it can sometimes be difficult to behave the way you used to. It becomes much more difficult to work when someone drives you. You may doubt yourself or your performance. It will show in the end. And if the boss finds out, then maybe they can shut it down.
4. Ignore emotional labels
Emotional labels are jabs a person makes to attack your self-esteem. For example, if someone lights the gas, they may call you crazy or stupid. And if you don’t shut it down, your mind can start to question those labels.
Although some people are stronger than others, emotional labels still leave scars. Learning to ignore emotional shortcuts helps destroy the gaslighter. They see that their swearing isn’t working as well as they would like, and these gaslighting games aren’t as effective.
5. Seek support
No one likes to be alone with their struggles, especially when it comes to bullies or bullies narcissistic colleagues. Having a support system is good for two reasons. You need someone to talk to when things get really bad at work. Also, if you have a support system, that other person will eventually see the truth in the gaslighter’s behavior.
6. Expose lies
With the facts you gather, show them to someone you trust, perhaps your support system. With every lie they tell, make sure you let someone know what you’re experiencing. Gaslight at work will try to spread rumors about you, assuming that you are the problem.
But if you have evidence, it will help you expose them, thus exposing their lies.
7. Keep calm
One of the things that annoys a gaslighter the most is your ability to stay calm. Their devious strategies aim to throw you off balance and destroy your sense of calm. Don’t let them do that. If someone gaslights you, just remember the truth. Then go about your work day as normal.
Yes, you’ll be working on their downfall in the background, but they don’t have to know about it. You can peacefully plan and organize while gathering your support system and your facts. Keeping calm will help you too confuse gas liter.
Yes, the gaslighter at work can be destroyed!
Maybe it seems impossible, or at least scary, to destroy a gaslight at work. But it is possible and should be done for your well-being. Gaslight can destroy you, so you must remove their influence from your life or at least learn to survive by working with them.
Don’t lose hope when dealing with a gaslighter. Remember, other people see the truth. It may not be obvious to them at first, but over time the gaslighter will reveal who they really are. If this happens, you can create a defense against them.
And the most important thing you have to remember is the truth. If you hold fast to what you know to be true, then the gaslighter’s strategies cannot affect you. And if you get a chance to get away from their influence, don’t hesitate.
Staff writer in Training the mind
Sherry Heard is a professional writer and artist with over 20 years of experience. As a survivor of childhood trauma and multiple forms of abuse, she is an advocate for mental health awareness. Sherry treats several mental illnesses, including anxiety disorder, bipolar disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder. With this background and personal experience, she is committed to helping others overcome trauma and abuse, cope with mental illness, and heal over time.
