Most people don’t walk into a job on day one and think, Ah yes, this will slowly erode my mental health. Toxic work environments are rarely obvious at first. They reveal themselves gradually; through patterns, not single bad days.

Every workplace has stress, off weeks and teams at times hit rough patches. Toxicity though, is different. It’s chronic. It’s cultural. And it changes who you are, not just how you feel on a Monday morning.

If you’ve been wondering whether your workplace is “just busy” or genuinely unhealthy, here are some clear signs that you may be in a toxic environment.

You’re Always on Edge

In healthy workplaces, you can relax into your role. You might be busy, but you’re not bracing for impact.

In toxic environments, you feel constant anxiety and pressure. You rehearse conversations before they happen, you re-read emails multiple times to make sure there’s nothing that could be twisted. You hesitate before speaking in meetings because you’re not sure how it will be received.

When this nervous system is constantly activated, that’s not “motivation,” that’s survival mode.

Feedback Feels Like a Weapon

Constructive feedback should help you grow, it should be specific, timely and rooted in improvement.

In toxic workplaces feedback is inconsistent, vague or personal. It may show up only when something goes wrong. It may feel humiliating, you might get praised privately but criticised publicly. Or worse; standards shift constantly, so you’re never sure what “good” looks like.

If feedback feels like a trap instead of a tool, that’s what they call a red flag.

Gossip Is Currency

Every workplace has some chatter, but in toxic cultures, gossip isn’t occasional it’s foundational.

Colleagues bond over tearing down others and leaders speak negatively about employees behind their backs. Information is withheld strategically and you learn about decisions through rumors instead of transparency.

When trust erodes and information flows through whispers instead of clear communication, people start protecting themselves instead of working and communicating together.

Boundaries Are Ignored (And Sometimes Punished)

Healthy teams respect time off, workload limits and personal space.

Toxic ones blur lines constantly. You’re expected to answer messages late at night and taking time off feels risky. There can be times when saying “I don’t have capacity” is interpreted as laziness or lack of commitment.

Over time, you may absorb the idea that rest equals weakness. That’s not ambition that is burnout culture dressed up as enthusiasm.

Leadership Avoids Accountability

In functional environments leaders own mistakes, they course correct and more importantly they model responsibility.

In toxic environments, blame rolls downhill. Failures are attributed to individuals rather than systems. Leaders rewrite narratives to protect themselves. You may notice gaslighting where your experience of events is subtly denied or reframed.

If you regularly leave meetings questioning your own memory or judgment, something deeper is off.

High Turnover Is Normalised

People leaving occasionally is normal. But if your organisation or department constantly cycles through employees, especially high performers, that’s data.

Watch and listen to exit patterns; are the same complaints repeated? Are departures dismissed as “they just couldn’t handle it.” Chronic turnover frequently signals unresolved cultural problems within the team or department.

When talented people don’t stay, it’s rarely about resilience. It’s normally about environment.

You’ve Stopped Speaking Up

One of the clearest indicators of toxicity is silence.

At first you may have offered ideas, raised concerns or asked thoughtful questions. However, over time, if those contributions were dismissed, ignored or even punished, you now likely pull back and refrain from speaking up.

When employees self censor to stay safe, innovation dies. So does engagement. If you’re doing the bare minimum to avoid attention, that’s not laziness, that’s strategic modification.

Favouritism Is Obvious

In healthy cultures, advancement is tied to performance, skill and contribution.

In toxic ones, favouritism is noticeable. Certain individuals are shielded from consequences, when others are scrutinised excessively. Promotions feel political rather than earned.

When rules apply differently depending on who you are or who you align with trust deteriorates quickly.

Conflict Is Either Explosive or Avoided Entirely

Healthy teams address conflict directly and respectfully.

Toxic workplaces tend to swing to extremes. Either disagreements explode into personal attacks or they’re buried completely. Passive-aggressive behaviour becomes common. Issues linger unresolved, resurfacing later in more damaging ways.

If you feel like there’s always tension simmering under the surface or like you’re walking through emotional landmines, that is not normal workplace stress.

Your Self-Confidence Is Shrinking

Perhaps the most important sign isn’t about the organisation, it’s about you.

Have you started doubting skills you once felt confident in? Do you replay interactions long after they’re over? Do you feel less capable than you did before this job?

Toxic environments distort self-perception. When you’re constantly criticised, excluded or undermined your internal narrative shifts. You might begin to believe the problem is you, when quite often, it isn’t.

Values and Reality Don’t Match

Many organisations talk about integrity, collaboration, inclusion or well-being. The real question is whether behaviour aligns with those claims.

If leadership preaches transparency but hides information, promotes teamwork but rewards competition or claims to value well being while glorifying overwork, that disconnect creates cognitive dissonance.

Over time, that misalignment is exhausting. You’re not just doing your job, you’re constantly reconciling contradictions.

You Dread Mondays in a Deep Way

I’m not talking about the occasional Sunday blues like, “I’d rather be on holiday.” I’m addressing the kind of dread that sits heavy in your chest. The kind that affects your sleep on a Sunday night. The kind that lingers even on your days off because you know you’re returning to something draining.

Pay attention to your body, because quite often it registers toxicity before your mind fully names it.

What Toxicity Is Not

It’s important to separate toxicity from discomfort.

Growth can feel uncomfortable, high standards can feel intense and fast paced environments can be tiring. A direct manager isn’t necessarily a toxic one.

Toxicity isn’t about challenge. It’s about chronic disrespect, fear based management, lack of accountability and psychological unsafety.

The key difference is whether the environment helps you grow or slowly diminishes you.

Why It’s Hard to See Clearly

Toxic environments often normalise themselves. You may hear phrases like:

• “That’s just their personality.”
• “We don’t need a weak link in this work place.”
• “That is the way you perceive it, but that was not the intention.”

Over time you adjust, because we are adaptable. However, it doesn’t mean that it’s healthy.

Sometimes it takes distance; new perspectives, conversations with trusted friends or even reading something like this to recognise patterns you’ve been living inside.

What You Can Do

If several of these signs resonate, you have options.

Start by documenting patterns rather than isolated incidents, clarity matters. Talk to trusted colleagues to gauge whether your experience is shared and seek support outside of work to ground your perspective.

If the environment is unlikely to change and you’ve tried reasonable steps consider whether staying aligns with your long term well-being.

Leaving a toxic workplace isn’t failure, sometimes it’s the most responsible choice you can make for your mental health and career.

The Bottom Line

A job should challenge you, it should stretch you and may even exhaust you at times.

But it should not make you feel small, unsafe or chronically anxious.

If you’re constantly bracing, doubting yourself or shrinking to survive, the issue may not be your resilience it may be your environment.

You deserve to work somewhere that respects your time, your voice, and your humanity. And recognizing toxicity is the first step toward something healthier.