![]() ![]() ![]() "Tragic optimism," or searching for the meaning behind difficult situations, is the opposite of toxic positivity and, according to some, is considered the antidote to this type of response. Look for meaning behind what you're going through.Your emotions can be as complex as the situation itself. If you are facing a challenge, it’s possible to feel nervous about the future and, at the same time, hopeful that you will succeed. Know that it’s okay to feel more than one thing.This can be especially helpful if facing toxic positivity at work, helping leaders evaluate the impact of their statements and actions. While challenging this type of response can be uncomfortable, confronting the person's approach provides them the opportunity to grow. Don't be afraid to challenge the person being toxically positive.Practice self-care and work on taking steps that can help improve your situation. When facing a difficult situation, it’s normal to feel stressed, worried, or even fearful. But this denies us the ability to face challenging feelings that can ultimately lead to growth and deeper insight. It prevents growth: Toxic positivity allows us to avoid feeling things that might be painful.When we feel difficult emotions, we then discount, dismiss, and deny them. Sometimes we turn these same ideas on ourselves, internalizing them. When people engage in this type of behavior, it allows them to sidestep emotional situations that make them feel uncomfortable. It avoids authentic human emotion: Toxic positivity functions as an avoidance mechanism.It sends a message that if you aren't finding a way to feel positive-even in the face of tragedy-you are doing something wrong. It causes guilt: Being toxically positive can also cause feelings of guilt.It tells people that the emotions they are feeling are unacceptable. When someone is suffering, they need to know that their emotions are valid and that they can find relief and love in their friends and family. It's shaming: Receiving toxic positivity can lead to feelings of shame. ![]()
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