When you’re feeling down, well-intentioned words from colleagues like “It could be worse,” or “Look on the bright side,” are what organizational psychologist Laura Gallagher calls “toxic positivity” — focusing on the positive while suppressing the negative.
“Invalidation of real feelings of fear, anxiety, and sadness can take a toll on mental health. Accepting emotions, on the other hand, has the opposite effect.”
— Susy Jackson, Editor at LinkedIn News
My favourite therapist gave me similar advice. He said “I know you want everything to be sunny and sunnier, but you need your ‘negative emotions’ such as anger/frustration/irritability because they give you critical information that you need to pay attention to.” He says all of emotions and reactions are important and relevant, as they can help us draw boundaries and make healthy choices. Just sayin’ :) Hugs. XO
Blessings,
Chatgirl
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