BLUF
Toxic positivity assumes that a positive mindset is the only mindset you should have, which is not healthy for you.Summary
Leadership consultant Gustavo Razzetti tells us there's nothing wrong with being optimistic. The problem, however, is when we are forced to appear positive all day and bottle up our real emotions to look happy. That pressure invalidates your genuine emotions and forces you to censor them. The author's key points:
Toxic positivity is the 'faulty' belief that people should only feel 'good' emotions and that a positive attitude will solve your problems.
Toxic positivity can harm motivation and self-confidence.
The pressure to stay positive can invalidate one's feelings and lead to guilt and shame.
Overcoming toxic positivity involves learning to regulate your emotions.
Emotional suppression can lead to unhappiness, sadness, and depression.
Seeing emotions as mutually exclusive is unhealthy. We all experience various emotions throughout the day. Overcoming toxic positivity requires learning how to regulate our emotions rather than suppressing them.
References
Feb 2021 VeryWellMind What Is Toxic Positivity?
Mar 2021 Medical News Today What to know about toxic positivity
Mar 2021 BBC 'Tragic optimism': The antidote to toxic positivity
