What is Toxic Positivity? Why It’s Not a Good Thing

Positivity is all around us. We see it on social media, hear about it from our friends, and even read about it in articles. It’s a common theme on almost every vlogger’s video, blog post, or article we come across these days. It’s something that almost everyone is striving for these days. But what if positivity isn’t always a good thing? Read on to discover more about the dangers of toxic positivity and how that could negatively impact you.

What Does Toxic Positivity Mean?

There are two types of positivity: positive affirming and toxic positivity. Positive affirming is a healthy form of positivity that helps you achieve your goals and stay motivated. It’s about finding the good in a situation, no matter how small or insignificant it may seem. It builds confidence, self-esteem, and helps us grow as individuals. Toxic positivity, on the other hand, is a negative form of positivity. It tricks you into thinking everything is rosy, when in reality it’s not. It cheats you out of the chance to experience real emotions and feelings.

Why is Positivity So Important?

Positivity is important because it can bring out the best in you and those around you. It can help you overcome difficult situations and break bad habits. It can even make you more productive and creative! When you surround yourself with positive people, you are also building yourself a positive environment. This positive environment will help keep you motivated and encourage you to achieve your goals and dreams.

How Can Being Too Positive Be Toxic?

As mentioned above, toxic positivity is when you are faking positivity and are not actually feeling positive about your situation or the people in your life. When you are being toxic, you are blocking your ability to feel and express real and true emotions. By hiding behind the mask of positivity, you are missing out on important opportunities to improve your life and relationships. You may also deceive yourself into believing that your problems don’t even exist. This will prevent you from solving the issues that are negatively impacting your life.

So, positivity is a great thing, and everyone should aim to be as positive as possible, but only to a degree. If you are not allowing yourself to feel or express any negative emotions, then you are being too positive and being toxic. Being positive is great, but it’s important to not shut out your negative emotions. You need to be able to feel them, process them, and move on from them so they don’t consume you.

For more information on toxic positivity and how you can avoid it, be sure to check out Sensera — a self-help app that provides daily CBT audio sessions and exercises. The app helps people deal with a variety of mental issues (anxiety, low self-esteem, relationship problems). Download Sensera now to become happier!