Too much of a good thing is bad. This also applies to being positive. When we keep focusing on remaining optimistic, we end up ignoring and suppressing our negative emotions. This is not healthy and it takes a toll on our mental and emotional health. Emotions like anger, worry, anxiety, jealousy, etc, all need to be worked out constructively.
In layman’s terms, toxic positivity is when you go in denial about your trigger issues and instead of acknowledging and solving them, you continuously keep up with the farce of feeling happiness. When you are constantly giving your belief system the message of staying positive, you are automatically ignoring the real issues, which will eventually lead to a mental, emotional and physical mess.
When you are in a bad headspace, people keep telling you to be positive and see the silver lining. That is fine but sometimes it is just not possible to ignore the negativity. Sometimes you just need to face the negative emotions and acknowledge the situation as it is.
When people are going through a tough phase, do not force them to be positive. Just be a good listener. Avoid overusing phrases like “don’t worry, be happy”, “everything happens for a reason”, “good vibes only”, “if I can do it so can you”, among others.
I’m not saying that being positive is a bad thing. I believe that everything should be done in moderation. Forcing yourself to ignore the negative aspect of the situation and your emotions cause a strain on your health and create more problems. We should all try to be realists when faced with our emotions.
During this pandemic, we should all stay safe and stay healthy - physically, mentally and emotionally.
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