An Antidote to Toxic Positivity

Everywhere we look, it seems like we are bombarded with platitudinous messages such as “good vibes only”, “just stay positive”, or “happiness is a choice.” If seeing another glib post saying “look on the bright side” or “everything happens for a reason” is making your eyes water and blood boil, know that your reaction is normal. One study showed that participants who were asked to suppress negative emotions regarding an upsetting event experienced more negative emotions compared to those who were not receiving any instructions to control their emotions (Dalgleish et al., 2009).