Ep. 57: Keep Toxic Positivity at Bay With These Three Exercises

Welcome to episode 57 of Mind Bloom, your podcast that's like yoga but for the mind.

I'm your host, Marina Gee, and this week we're talking about Toxic Positivity and how you can stave it off from your life.

For as long as I can remember, some people in my life have urged me to "think positive," and “be more positive.” But what does that even mean? If we don’t do some inner work and don’t find out  where our negativity comes from or how to overcome its root issues, then positivity will just be another word with no significance attached to it; nothing more than temporary relief which keeps us trapped within this vicious cycle of self-pitying and unproductive thoughts. I have a different interpretation of positivity. By positivity, I mean authentic and empathetic openness. Not to be confused with "toxic positivity."

Toxic positivity is, I think, an overuse of “positivity” and an oversimplification that lacks the true depth of what's going on within us. Toxic positivity is a misguided and shallow interpretation of our emotions, it ignores our complex make-ups, and it limits us from exploring the potential for growth within ourselves.

This notion that we should “stay positive” no matter what comes up over and over again, especially on social media. We're being told, from an early age and, especially, as women, to ignore our negativity because it doesn't serve us, or that we need to be positive if we want to achieve our goals in life.

There's no doubt that the self-help industry has latched onto this idea as a major life-saver. And social media took the ground running. It’s so common now to witness someone share a difficult time on social media and see the post inundated with “positive” comments, such as “you got this” or “you’ve done it before, you can do it again.”

If someone you know shares a challenging moment, think before commenting and continue listening.

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Music score by SirGeeOh https://soundcloud.com/sirgeeoh  

Marina Gee gets her daily inspiration from mentors like Brene Brown, Glennon Doyle, Oprah, Pema Chödrön, Tara Brach, Deepak Chopra, and Melody Beattie.

DISCLAIMER: The content provided by Mind Bloom is NOT intended to be a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking medical treatment because of any content referenced or authored by @mindbloomyou.