A gaslighter at work is just as sneaky as your toxic friends or family. In fact, they operate in an environment that offers additional ways to make you look bad.
Gas lighting in the workplace can transform your environment into a a poisonous hellscape. What they need is a way to make you look like a liar, or worse, “crazy.”
Unfortunately, many of us regularly work with someone who uses gaslighting as a weapon. They will use it to get ahead of you or get you fired. Be careful when dealing with such people.
Recognizing a gas lamp at work
At work you will encounter many kinds of people has different characteristics. It’s a struggle to get used to being around these people in a work environment as opposed to family or friends. So when you come across a gaslighter counterpartthe environment will deteriorate further.
A gaslighter can act in many strange ways, including saying you said things you didn’t say, and even saying you didn’t do things you clearly remember doing.
Signs of gas lighting at work:
- improper dismissal
- lies and open criticism
- denial of a fair investigation
- unfair disciplinary actions
- non-disclosure of material information
- lack of transparency
- direct bullying behavior
How to destroy a gas lamp at work
So how do we turn them off? Better yet, how do we eliminate gaslighters in the workplace so they think twice about mistreating people again? It’s not easy, but we can try some of the following steps:
1. Gather the facts
The first thing you want to do is gather the facts. Those who burn you will never admit what they are doing. This is because they usually have a narcissistic personality disorder. Therefore, exposing them without evidence rarely works for you.
Instead, write down all the inconsistencies and lies they tell you. While it’s hard to prove what a gasliner does, it’s not impossible, and it’s best to have all the facts.
2. Be alert
Be alert, do not pay attention to sudden changes in body language and behavior. You may know that sometimes a gaslighter tries to spread nonsense.
If you’ve been bullied for a long time, you learn to recognize things before they happen. If you are vigilant, you can catch these toxic individuals and challenge them to their actions. This lets them know how you feel about them, so they can at least think twice before doing anything bad at that point.
3. Work performance control
If you are the boss and suspect that one of your employees may be gaslighting or doing other things manipulative actionsthe victim may show signs of reduced work performance.
Gaslighting takes such a toll on mental health that sometimes it’s hard to behave the way you used to. When someone gaslights you, things get a lot harder. You may doubt yourself or your performance. It will eventually be seen. And if the boss finds out, maybe they can shut him down.
4. Ignore emotional cues
Emotional labels are the blows a person takes to destroy their self-esteem. For example, if someone engages in gaslighting behavior, they may call you crazy or stupid. And if you don’t turn it off, your mind may question those labels.
While some people are stronger than others, emotional labels still leave a mark. Learning to ignore emotional cues can help eliminate gaslighting. They find that their name-calling isn’t working as well as they’d like, and that these gaslighting games aren’t very effective.
5. Ask for help
No one likes to be alone with their struggles, especially bullies or narcissistic colleagues. Having a support system is good for two reasons. When things get really bad at work, you need someone to talk to. Also, when you have a support system, that other person will eventually see the truth in the gaslighter’s behavior.
6. Expose the lie
With the facts you have gathered, show them to someone else you trust, perhaps your support system. With every lie they tell, make sure you let someone know what you’re going through. A gaslighter in the workplace tries to spread rumors about you and indicates that the problem is with you.
If you have evidence, it will help expose them, therefore exposing their lies.
7. Relax
One of the things that bothers a gaslighter the most is your ability to keep calm. The purpose of their cunning strategies is to unbalance you and destroy your sense of peace. Don’t let them do that. When someone burns you, just remember the truth. Then go about your workday as usual.
Yes, you are working on their downfall in the background, but they don’t need to know it. You can gather, plan and manage your own support system and facts with peace of mind. Keeping calm will help you too confuse the gaslight.
Yes, it is possible to eliminate gas lighting in the workplace!
Perhaps it seems impossible or at least scary to eliminate gas lighting in the workplace. But it is possible and should be done for your well-being. Gasliners can destroy you, so you need to remove their influence from your life, or at least learn how to survive dealing with them.
Do not lose hope when working with gas lighting. Remember, others see the truth. At first it may be incomprehensible to them, but in time the gasliner will show them who they are. When this happens, you can build your defenses against them.
And the most important thing for you to remember is the truth. If you hold fast to what you know to be true, gasliner strategies will not affect you. When you have the opportunity to get away from their influence, do not hesitate.
Staff writer at Studying the mind
Sherry Heard is a professional writer and illustrator with over 20 years of experience. As a survivor of childhood trauma and various forms of abuse, she is an advocate for mental health awareness. Sherry manages several mental illnesses including anxiety disorder, bipolar disorder and PTSD. With this knowledge and personal experience, she strives to help others overcome trauma and abuse, overcome mental illness, and heal over time.
