It's 2020, Ain't Nobody Got Time For Toxic People, Get Them Out...

It’s 2020 and there’s lots of things we’re not going to stand for this year. Like uncomfortable bras, watered down margaritas, and most importantly, toxic relationships. That shit is not going to fly this year. 

And by relationships, I don’t just mean romantic: I’m talking everything. Relationships with friends, family members, even how you treat yourself. We’re all about treating ourselves with respect in 2020, babes. So let’s identify these toxic relationships and work on removing them. 

All relationships are worth the fight. Until they aren’t. Any type of break up is hard, romantic, friendship or otherwise. But if a relationship is toxic, it’ll hurt you more by staying in one. Some signs of toxicity are passive-aggressive behavior, they bully you, it’s draining, it’s all give (to them, not you), and you constantly feel like you’re walking on egg shells. If you feel dread when their name lights up on your phone, take that as a huge ass red-flag. 

If you’ve tried talking to them about how you’re being treated in the relationship and there are no signs of change, it’s time to move on. One way to do this is by slowly moving away from that person, and become less involved in that person’s life. This doesn’t make you a passive-aggressive lil’ bitch. It just means you want to spare yourself the trouble of more fighting. If they are extremely damaging and can’t take hints, don’t feel bad about cutting them out entirely. You are doing this out of protection and respect for yourself. 

Sometimes though, we are the ones being toxic to ourselves. Looking in the mirror and harping on our flaws, making ourselves the butt of jokes to make others laugh. And cutting ourselves out of our own life doesn’t exactly work. So instead, make mental notes of when you self-criticize and self-deprecate. Then stop yourself, and say something kind instead. It sounds so cheesy, I know, but we have to start somewhere. Because in the wise words of Ru Paul: “If you can’t love yourself, how the hell are you gonna love someone else?” 

cover image via Dear Post Man