Accept Negative Emotions Instead Of Propagating Toxic Positivity
Believe it or not, the positive thinking that social media reproduces can be harmful because it can disregard negative emotions.
For example, glamorous quotes like “happiness is a choice” or “everything happens for a reason” have most likely appeared on your Instagram or Facebook feed.
While they might be well-intentioned statements that you’ve probably even said yourself or heard your family members or friends say, such statements may cause people to hide their real feelings.
We do need a positive mindset to confront difficult circumstances, but the overdose of it may cause long-term mental issues that can result in depression or suicide.
It has become such a common issue that mental health experts have named it Toxic Positivity, which is the excessive state of happiness and optimism.
According to a 2018 study, the acceptance of negative emotions leads to better psychological health.
That means we have to allow ourselves to experience the whole spectrum of emotions, both negative and positive. Minimizing anger, sadness, anxiety, or fear can make you live an inauthentic life.
We all need to be listened to and feel validated. We can not make ourselves or people happy with just a “cheer up.”
The most powerful antidote for depression and anxiety is knowing that we are genuinely heard and cared for by others.
So next time you have someone expressing their feelings, stop parroting those motivational quotes.
Change your favorite motivational phrases like “positive vibes only!” for “I’m here for you both good and bad.” Move from “failure is not an option” to “failure is a part of growth and success.” Choose to say “describe what you’re feeling, I’m listening” instead of “don’t think about it, stay positive!”
Always remember that sometimes it’s okay to cry and you shouldn’t feel guilty about it. We all cry eventually. You either choose to let it out or your body will force it out.
We must create a safe place for feelings to be communicated and emotions to be validated in order to learn how to gently deal with them.
Let’s end the culture that propagates only the nice side of our emotions and create a world where all vibes are welcome.
