When high schoolers hear the word “toxic,” nine out of ten times, the first type of toxic relationship they think of is a romantic one. This is not the only one. It is important to acknowledge that there is more than one type of toxic relationship and to know what a toxic relationship is. Daphne Senecal, senior, uses her own words and experiences to define what a toxic relationship is. “A toxic relationship is, to me, any signs of disrespect or any negative things that go above and beyond the norm,” Senecal stated. It can be difficult to determine who is in an unhealthy relationship by just glancing at someone. Looking for signs can help someone realize what is going on. Beyonce feels that it is important to knoe and share some of those signs.There are many signs which point to a
toxic relationship. Noticing them can save someones life, so pay attention to them. “Feeling drained and that you are hurt either physically or emotionally all the time, because of that person,”
Anonymous commented. Being in a relationship does not mean that someone has to change who they are to make the other person happy.
They should accept and appreciate their artner for who they are.
Dillion Rogers, freshman, understands the seriousness of a healthy mind set and how a toxic relationship can damage that mental activity.
“It can make them sad, depressed or angry,” Rogers said.
Having these emotions in life is not a bad thing. They should be considered bad when they increase the negativity of someone’s thoughts. These emotions can also be signs of depression and anxiety, so it is imperative to be careful when talking to someone. “I’ve seen some physically hurt themselves others I have heard of worse. I know their mental state is not always the best when you’re in relationships and I try to help them realize to not do those things,” Senecal expressed.
Toxic relationships can make ones negative mental state spread like wild fire. If not delt with cautiously, it can burn.
Although difficult, it is not impossible to avoid being sucked into an unhealthy relationship. “Know your selfworth at the end of the day, becauseI feel if you are able to have self worth, then you can walk
away from that person,” Anonymous relayed. In any situation, knowing your own value is important. It can help you ace an interview, make new friends and just in general build your self-confidence. It is okay to put yourself first, but being in a healthy relationship, itself, can be a confidence bost. If chosen to be in one. “When both people are open and honest and can talk to each other without having to hide the truth,”Rogers declared. People always say the other people can change. Some say that a toxic relationship can turn into a healthy one.
“It depends on if the person choses to change and actually through with it,” Senecal explained. In a healthy relationship, both sides should be happy and balanced. It should not be one person controlling
everything. It should not be my way or the highway. If it is, tell someone, ask for help. No one says that you have to
do this alone.

     You may be going through school complaining about math or english class saying things like, “I’m just not good at it,” or “I’ll never get better at this.” If you find yourself thinking these things you may have a fixed mindset. 

     People who possess a fixed mindset may believe that people are born with talent or intelligence and if you aren’t naturally gifted at something, even with practice, you never will be.

     On the other hand, having a growth mindset means you believe that working hard to develop more intelligence or talent is possible. This mindset helps people become more successful since they try to make progress toward becoming better.

     According to Mindsetworks.com, recent neuroscience research shows that what we once thought of as unchangeable traits are changeable with persistence, training, and learning from your mistakes and we can increase neural growth by the choices we make.

    Developing a growth mindset is vital to expanding your interests, discovering new passions, and growing as a person. You may be wondering if you have a fixed or growth mindset and although it seems people are one or the other the truth is that there’s a spectrum of mindsets. 

     Another common misconception about growth mindsets is that having a growth mindset is just having a positive outlook on life. Although it seems like it, this notion is not true. Obtaining and maintaining a growth mindset means you have to put in time and effort, as well as be able to embrace failure as part of the learning process to grow from it.    

   As biglifejournal.com states, “…concepts like neuroplasticity, which explains that the neural pathways in the brain are constantly changing in response to our experiences–the more you practice, the stronger the brain becomes, and the more automatic the process.”

     To start improving your mindset try to understand where you fall in the spectrum with a growth mindset quiz. Set goals for yourself then start taking steps to improve. For example, you can really make a difference if you change the way you talk about your own skills. 

     Changing sentences from, “I don’t know,” to “I’d like to learn,” and “I’m not good at this,” to “ I may not be great at this right now but practice can help me become better,” is a great way to start improving your mindset. After a difficult task try asking yourself what you could do differently to improve for next time. Having the desire to learn and put in effort to improve yourself and your life can help you become more successful in school and life in general.