Toxic positivity is the assumption that a person’s challenges or pain can be overcome by simply having a positive mindset.
However, the truth is that the suppression of difficult or negative emotions is enough for the healing process. You have often heard people being told to gain a positive mindset even if things are looking bleak.
It is important to note that having a positive mindset on its own is not an issue, it is the disregard of difficult emotions.
By trying to suppress these emotions, you are trying to tell your mind that difficult emotions are not good. All emotions are important, whether good or bad.
According to Laura, a therapist at Talkspace, it is important to appreciate all emotions and address them accordingly. Ignoring or disregarding some can have a counterproductive effect on your mental health.
Here are four ways to avoid toxic positivity:
- Be authentic
When Meaghan Rice, a therapist at Talkspace speaks about toxic positivity, he refers to the use of using a positive mindset for secondary gain.
For example when a person is excessively positive in order to win friends or sway the position of other people at work, and that’s not how he or she is truly feeling, it may send a confusing message.
Meaghan’s assertions are true in the sense that sometimes we try to please people to do things by saying nice words to them when in reality we are just doing that for personal gain.
The best thing to do instead is to be authentic. Being authentic means saying and doing things that you truly believe in regardless of how it will make the other person feel.
- Learn unconditional self-acceptance
Elizabeth Derickson, also a therapist at Talkspace says that being able to identify and accept your own emotions is critical in preventing negative positivity. In her view, avoiding certain emotions has the ability to increase feelings of depression and anxiety.
A lot of studies agree with Derickson’s statement – indicating that people who accept all their feelings unconditionally have lower chances of suffering from depression.
The practice of unconditional self-acceptance allows you to experience all types of emotions that may arise without judging them.
- Don’t stock your feelings
How many times have you quarreled with your partner and taken out on your colleague at work? This is something that happens frequently and can lower productivity. It is important to know how to control your feelings and not bottle them up.
According to therapist Rice, you can’t bottle up emotions forever because sooner than later, they will explode. In short, if you try to stock feelings until it is safe to express them, then there’s a chance that they will build up.
- Feel multiple emotions at ago
As human beings, we always experience all manner of feelings. It is up to you to carefully analyze each feeling and respond to them accordingly. The problem is that some people try to segregate some feelings because they are not pleasant.
It is important to learn how to feel multiples emotions at once and avoid segregating others. All emotions are valid.
Follow Talkspace on Instagram for more helpful free mental health tips.
Leave a Reply