Toxic positivity is the assumption that despite a person’s emotional pain and turmoil, they should only have a positive mindset.
- When we pretend that emotional pain doesn’t exist, we send a message to our brain that whatever the emotion is, it is in some way bad or dangerous. If our brain believes we are in a dangerous situation, our body will respond as such.
- By overdoing positive affirmations, we may be invalidating our or others’ feelings and harming them when they are already in a vulnerable state.
- The best way to deal with negative emotions is to let yourself feel the emotions you’re feeling and let them pass, not push them under the rug.
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It was a regular weekday back in August. By this time, my family and I had somewhat gotten used to working from home, but things still didn’t seem “settled.” We were struggling with managing meals, work, online schooling, keeping the kid busy indoors, and our own emotional well-beings. As if this wasn’t enough, I got a call from my mother breaking the news that both of my parents had tested positive for Covid.
