Saying \u201cno\u201d feels like an uphill battle, one that drags you down and breaks out into outbursts when you refuse them, but that\u2019s the trick to dealing with difficult people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It’s saying a firm “no,” and cementing your refusal to deal with their drama by walking away. Everyone has problems walking away and turning people down, especially when dealing with master manipulators who continually try to guilt-trip you into revoking that refusal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The more you practice telling that person \u201cno,\u201d the easier it is to stick to that decision. And the more they\u2019ll stop expecting you to go along with their plans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When more drama awaits when you stop indulging them, that\u2019s when walking away and removing yourself from the situation comes in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Become Unavailable To Them<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

You\u2019re not someone who is going to roll over anymore. When it comes to toxic people, they\u2019re probably used to getting what they want, and they have been employing the same methods throughout their lives. That means they can sense who they can manipulate and who won\u2019t fall for it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When their manipulation stops working on you, that may be the trigger to them moving on. Now that you’re unavailable to those toxic people, ignoring their attempts at communication, they will eventually get the hint and stop trying to engage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This works especially if you\u2019re dealing with a difficult person at work. There are a plethora of genuine excuses you can use. For example, too much work to chat is a sure way to get out of any rant. The first few times, you may get some remarks, a little passive aggression, or dramatic bursts at your unavailability, but that person will move on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Speak Up for Yourself<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Is the path of least resistance not working out anymore? Sometimes, that person needs reality, and that is to be told that their behavior is unacceptable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These master manipulators are used to getting what they want– whether that\u2019s by using force, psychology tactics, or just plain guilt tricks. And this is the last time you\u2019ll tolerate this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Behavior toxic people employ, behavior that upsets you, includes constantly interrupting you, downplaying your accomplishments, speaking negatively about something you care about, or downright sabotaging you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once that person knows that they\u2019re doing something wrong, they can back down once confronted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That\u2019s the thing here. When people keep quiet, that toxic person thinks it\u2019s okay to continue behaving as they do. Until one person speaks up, they may not even be aware that they’re doing anything wrong.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The reaction you’ll get may be surprised, anger, or even outrage, but it’s essential to speak up nonetheless. Otherwise, you’ll get sucked back into their toxic games.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Speaking up using a direct statement can be quite disarming. And if they try gaslighting you into believing that they’re not in the wrong, spell it out again. If they continue down the path of denial, at least you have acknowledged how harmful this attitude is. You have stopped being a tool for them to manipulate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Don\u2019t Try to Fix Them<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

What is it about toxic people that invokes the need to fix them? If that person is a parent, a sibling, or a close friend, we may try to fix them regardless of how much they can hurt us. Here, the course of action is to just offer compassion to them but do not attempt to fix them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is if you don’t block that person from your life. Offering them compassion isn’t the least you can do; it’s the most<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That person can<\/em> change, but they’re either unwilling to put in the work or just don’t want to. And that’s on them, not you. And putting in the effort on their behalf will only drain your emotional reservoirs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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