Psychologist Dr. Linda Blair, GP Dr. Anisha Patel, and wellbeing consultant Benjy Kusi discuss toxic positivity, the impact on mental health, and the importance of embracing negative emotions. They highlight the harm of suppressing feelings, share personal experiences, and stress the value of authentic self-expression for well-being.
Suppressing negative emotions can be demoralizing and harmful to one's wellbeing.
Toxic positivity in professional settings can hinder addressing genuine concerns and contribute to employee burnout.
Deep dives
Understanding Toxic Positivity
Toxic positivity, where individuals feel pressured to maintain a constant positive attitude, has gained prominence, leading to potential harm. Clinical psychologist Dr. Linda Blair highlights how dismissing negative emotions, such as telling a friend in distress 'it'll be fine,' can be demoralizing. The panel at the Cheltenham Science Festival, including Dr. Anisha Patel, who encountered toxic positivity during her battle with cancer, analyzed the negative impacts of suppressing authentic feelings.
Recognizing Toxic Positivity Examples
Examples of toxic positivity were discussed, ranging from minimizing struggles, as seen during COVID times with 'stay positive' mantras, to invalidating genuine emotions with silver lining responses like 'it could be worse.' Inclusion consultant Benji Kuzi emphasized how such dismissive remarks pressure individuals to conceal honest feelings, hindering open expression and authentic emotional experiences.
Navigating Workplace Toxic Positivity
In professional settings, toxic positivity manifests through insensitive phrases like 'it's all good' when employees face burnout or racism. Benji Kuzi shared instances where leaders fail to address underlying issues or criticize employees seeking support. Creating a constructive feedback environment and acknowledging genuine concerns play a pivotal role in countering toxic positivity at work.
Coping Strategies for Dealing with Toxic Positivity
Combatting toxic positivity requires honest communication and setting boundaries. Panelists suggested gentle confrontations to challenge unrealistic optimism and encourage listening without judgment. Dr. Linda Blair emphasized the importance of acknowledging negative emotions, allowing for their expression to prevent psychological and physical repercussions. By fostering a culture of open dialogue and empathy, individuals can navigate toxic positivity more effectively.
In the last two years, online searches for ‘toxic positivity’ have spiked. In this discussion from the Cheltenham Science Festival, we find out what toxic positivity is, and how it can hurt you and people around you.
In front of a live audience, Claudia Hammond is joined by psychologist Dr Linda Blair, GP and educator Dr Anisha Patel, and wellbeing consultant and content creator Benjy Kusi.
Linda has been interested in the rise in the use of the term ‘toxic positivity’ and has noticed how it is having an impact on our wellbeing. She reveals why it is important for us not to suppress ‘negative’ feelings and emotions.
Anisha was diagnosed with bowel cancer when she was 39. She authored the book Everything You Hoped You’d Never Need To Know About Bowel Cancer, where she speaks about her diagnosis and treatment journey. She experienced first-hand the harm that toxic positivity can do.
Benjy works with many different companies to help improve their inclusion and wellbeing practices. He is the author of the book Hope This Helps and posts frequent videos about lots of tricky issues on TikTok and Instagram.
Presenter: Claudia Hammond
Producer: Alice Lipscombe-Southwell
Production Coordinator: Jana Bennett-Holesworth
Editor: Holly Squire
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