The dark side of positivity.pdf

The dark side of positivity Does positive thinking always help to maintain a good mental health? It is believed so, but sometimes it can have a negative effect as well. For example, if you are feeling low due to some reasons there is a difference in how you feel when someone says you “just stay pos...

The dark side of positivity Does positive thinking always help to maintain a good mental health? It is believed so, but sometimes it can have a negative effect as well. For example, if you are feeling low due to some reasons there is a difference in how you feel when someone says you “just stay positive” and if they say “things are tough right now.do you want to talk about it”?.If you consider first case it is like the other person is indirectly asking you to just ignore/avoid your negative feelings and forcing positivity. Toxic positivity can be defined as overgeneralizing of a happy state irrespective of the situation. Toxic positivity can worsen our present state of mind. It makes us feel ashamed of negative thoughts due to which we hide our true feelings. It can never make us strong from within and it is not possible to hide our feelings for a long duration. it is to be understood that negative thoughts need to be faced not ignored. Our challenge now is how to stay away from toxic positivity. Here are some tips you can follow to avoid toxic positivity-: Accept the fact that it is ok to have negative thoughts and it needs to be faced. Do not have a fixed mindset about anything have a growth mindset. Develop empathy. Recognise the difference between positivity and toxic positivity. Manage your thoughts and emotions. Understand the reason behind your negative thoughts and emotions. Realize that happiness is not permanent.