Is My Positivity Toxic?

Nobody wants to be, or be around, a “Negative Nancy” or “Davy Downer.”  The benefits of having an optimistic outlook improve our overall well-being as they boost longevity, help us bounce back from stress, and help regulate emotions.  We are often instructed by society to be optimistic and stay positive, especially in American culture.  But there’s a fine line between having positive attitude and toxic positivity.  It becomes toxic when we ignore reality, suppress negative emotions, and try to be overly positive in every situation, regardless of what is really happening.  In this podcast, LA Psychotherapist, John Tsilimparis, joins Cecile, Juan, and Shawn for a deep dive into this topic.  We discuss what toxic positivity is, how to recognize it, and why we display it to others, and even to ourselves.  John gives us tools we can use to give ourselves the space we need to feel our emotions and acknowledge reality, and have a watchful awareness to build resilience and be supportive.