Having a PositiveMindset is good…right?
Definitely! There have been decades of research in thefield of Positive Psychology that have shown that being positive and optimisticin our attitudes towards life can increase our self-esteem, boost energy, andbuild resilience - offering enormous benefits for our mental, physical, andemotional wellbeing.
A “Stay Positive” attitude is an effective andpowerful tool to help us navigate adversity and life turmoil. Whenwe maintain an optimistic perspective, we are more likely to approach conflictswith patience and focus on solutions, building trust and connection with thepeople around us.
It’s difficult to see anynegatives which could come from having a Positive Mindset. So, where does theterm ‘Toxic Positivity’ come from?
What is Toxic Positivity?
A ‘Stay Positive’ attitude means just that –you have to stay there!
Toxic Positivity is beingoverly rigid in maintaining a positive attitude at all times, to the pointwhere it dismisses, invalidates, or suppresses our genuine emotions andstruggles.
Do you recognise any ofthese Toxic Positivity statements:
ü “Look on the bright side!”
ü "Everything happens for a reason.”
ü "It could be worse.”
ü “Justthink about the good memories.”
Sound familiar?
‘Staying Positive’ in terms of Toxic Positivity is unrealistic, giventhe changeability and unpredictability of our modern lives – “everythingwill be okay,” can mean we are habitually living with avoidance andsuppressing our more complex emotions.
Smiling and pushing forward is sometimes necessaryjust to get through that challenging business meeting or awkward social event.But sometimes, using our energy to avoid our more challenging thoughts andemotions by staying positive, can be even more stressful – ironic, isn’t it!
Is There a Positivity Balance?
One approach which can be helpful in gaining abalanced approach to positivity is to remember that you can “look on thebright side” but remember to look on the dark side too – and everything inbetween!
All of our emotions are valuable, good, bad, and ugly!They have a job to do – they are trying to tell us something, so maybe we couldjust listen. If we are rigid in our Positive Mindset, then we could be missingimportant information to help us to make fully informed choices for our mental,physical, and emotional wellbeing.
Being Authentically Positive is to find gratitude, strength,and energy through engaging in life on the full spectrum. Acceptance of who youare, what you think and what you feel gives you more insight into what bringsyou positivity.
