Protecting your energy in a toxic workplace when you can't leave yet

I'm looking for a new job and it's going to take time. In the meantime, I'm still here. Here's what's keeping me functional.

Emotional containment at work: I limit how much of myself I bring to the office. I do my job well, I'm professional, but I don't try to find meaning or connection here right now. That emotional resource is being preserved for my actual life.

The job search is my protected priority. Two hours every weekday evening are non-negotiable. This gives me a sense of agency and forward movement that prevents the situation from feeling permanent.

Physical basics: Sleep, exercise, and time outside are not optional when your psychological environment is draining. They're the infrastructure that makes everything else possible.

Talking to someone outside the situation: A friend, a therapist, a mentor. Someone who can reflect things back to you without being inside the same environment.