How to Avoid Toxic Positivity

In the age of digital media, we are always engaged with family and friends on social media and chat messages about “maintaining a positive attitude or mindset” whenever things didn’t turn out well for you. The meaning of “toxic positivity” refers to the idea of focusing only on positive things while pushing aside anything can lead to negativity. While it may sound good, denying or avoiding unpleasant emotions. Accepting difficult emotions can certainly help with coping and reducing the level of negativity building up in you. Here are X ways you can start to change the phrases to avoid toxic positivity.

 

Instead of saying you will get over it. Say, it’s hard but I believe in you.

Instead of saying don’t be so negative. Say, it’s okay to feel bad sometimes.

Instead of saying always look at the bright side. Say, it can be difficult to see the good in this situation, but we’ll make sense of it when we can.

Instead of saying failure is not an option. Say, failure is part of growth.

Instead of saying think happy thoughts. Say, things can get really though, I am here for you.

Instead of saying it could be worse. Say, sometimes we experience bad things. How can I support you?

 

Why is toxic positivity a problem?

Toxic positivity is an issue because not solving your problems or even ignoring is just a not good thing to do. The problem will escalate further, and it would be hard to turn things around if it’s never addressed. It would be more beneficial for you to accept instead of pushing aside your negative emotions. Not defusing the problem could also affect your overall psychological health as well.

 

Signs you are taken your toxic positivity too far

If you find yourself taking all responsibility on your own while avoiding the things that are too much for you to handle, this is a sign that it’s time for you to balance out your positive-negative in your life. Avoidance can quickly lead to the path of laziness. Once you get used to avoidance, gradually you will find yourself sitting on the sideline as every opportunity passes by. Toxic positivity can also lead people to victimise themselves or internalise the negative aspects of their life that can lead to stress. 

 

Stop pushing the negative feelings away

If you are the one that is struggling, try to avoid pushing away the negative feelings. It’s completely okay to feel disappointed, frustrated, sad and angry when facing hardships. If you opt to avoid the negative emotions, it’s just a matter of time for the problem to come back to you. Negative feelings are one of the normal aspects of our lives. What matters most is to find a balance between positive and negative emotions. The best way is to go right through the negative emotions and find a way to cope with it, so you won’t end up in a much worse state.

 

Learn to distinguish between the things you can and cannot change

You will be bound to encounter something that you can do to improve the situation. Pick up your courage and look into your options to fix the problem. While not everything can be solved with your own hands, learning how to accept things that you cannot change is not that easy nor a quick process.

 

Correcting your cognitive thinking errors

We all have negative thoughts appear once in a while, and we all can make these cognitive errors especially if you are depressed, anxious or stressed. One of the simplest approaches to correcting your cognitive thinking errors is to start with appreciating the small good things in your life to make things easier to get through your hardest struggles.

What is your take on overcoming toxic positivity? Leave us your thoughts on the comment sections below. Head over to Jobstore.com and unveil your next job opportunity.

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