Focusing on the positive can become toxic if you're not careful.
, in which so many are experiencing heightened amounts of grief and worry."Toxic positivity can silence negative emotions, dismiss grief, and make people feel pressure to pretend to be happy even when they are struggling with overwhelming emotions."
Suppressing negative feelings can have a variety of detrimental effects on one's lifestyle as well, said, a clinical psychologist and author."When a person feels angry, stressed, negative, sad, or irritable, ignoring those feelings to 'put on a happy face' can lead to additional stress, anger, irritability, and unhealthy coping mechanisms such as overeating, alcohol abuse, or other addictive patterns," she said.
Fortunately, King said there are additional healthy ways to stay positive while still processing the full spectrum of your emotions."You can do this by having a family meeting to check in and communicate," she suggested."Review lessons learned, things that made the family strong." You can even make a list of specific things you or your family — or group of friends — are grateful for.
Another good way to handle fluctuating emotions is to view your feelings as neutral instead of positive or negative."The more you get into the habit of not judging your emotions as 'good' or 'bad,' the more you learn to see your emotions as important messengers of what you need or don't need," Dr. Manly said. For example, if you're feeling upset or stressed, instead of judging yourself for those emotions, you can look at them as cues.
If it's the people around you who are the ones perpetuating toxic positivity, Dr. Forti suggests trying to share your acceptance of negative feelings."Someone who frequently engages in toxic positivity may feel uncomfortable or vulnerable when negative emotions are accessed," she said."Let the person know you think feeling mad or sad is OK, that feeling and acknowledging the negative stuff makes them human and more fully connected to themselves and others.
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