Physician Burnout: Toxic Positivity

The idea of being positive all day, every day has been around for as long as I can remember. The saying, “Think of the bright side” is thrown around so much. It’s like just thinking positively will change the situation. While having a positive outlook in life is beneficial, there is a point where it’s taken too far. It’s called toxic positivity. In this blog, we’ll explore what toxic positivity is, the impact that it has, and how we can avoid its pitfalls so we can have a more balanced approach to life.

What is Toxic Positivity

Toxic positivity is the belief that a person should always maintain a positive attitude, no matter the situation. There should be a red flag when the word ‘always’ is used. Toxic positivity dismisses emotions and experiences. It promotes the idea that one should just ‘be happy.’ While the idea sounds wonderful, toxic positivity can have poor effects on mental health and emotional well-being.

Impacts of Toxic Positivity  

Squashes Emotions

Toxic positivity squashes emotions. A person can’t express their authentic feelings. This can create a cycle of emotional distress. Emotions are felt but aren’t expressed in any way. These emotions are suppressed. More emotions are experienced and squashed. The cycle continues until emotions find their way out in an unhealthy way. It’s essential to express all emotions in a prosocial way. It’s essential to be present with our emotions instead of denying or ignoring them.

Pressure to be Positive

Toxic positivity can create the expectation where a person feels like they have to put on their happy face even when they are struggling inside. This pressure can cause feelings of self-blame and inadequacy because they aren’t living up to the expectation of being happy or staying positive all the time.

Invalidating Experiences 

Having your experiences invalidated can be a demoralizing experience. It feels like you are being pushed aside. By being forced to have an overly positive outlook, those that are experiencing tough times are being invalidated. This undermines people’s life experiences. When you are pushed aside and invalidated, you can feel isolated, underheard, and misunderstood. This can cause even more emotional distress. 

Minimizing Concerns

When life challenges come up, it’s essential to address them rather than brush them aside because you have to ‘look at the bright side.’ Toxic positivity can cause people to overlook the real issues that need attention. Problems need to be addressed but toxic positivity may not allow for it to be addressed.

Avoiding Toxic Positivity

The Whole Picture

Instead of looking for positivity in every aspect, aim for seeing the whole picture. It’s healthy to recognize both the negative and positive aspects of the situation. You need to see the whole picture, not just the positive side. When you can acknowledge there are challenging aspects of life, you’ll be able to address challenges head-on and work on personal growth.

Acknowledge Emotions

People need to acknowledge and express their emotions healthily. People need to be able to experience a full range of emotions without judgment or guilt. It’s natural to feel sadness, anger, or frustration. These are normal emotions everyone experiences. Give voice to all your emotions, not only happiness or excitement. 

Practice Self-Compassion

It’s easy to criticize yourself. That voice in your head may become more critical if you are always trying to be positive. Treat yourself with kindness, compassion, and understanding. We are human. We have imperfections and we are vulnerable. We make mistakes. 

Toxic positivity has consequences when it is implemented. It squashes emotions, causes pressure to always be positive, invalidates experiences, and minimizes concerns. We must see the whole picture, acknowledge our emotions and practice self-compassion. It’s okay to not be okay. We all experience challenges in our lives.

Reach out for Therapy for Physician Burnout

Learn tools and skills to overcome physician burnout Start your journey to overcome physician burnout with Chris Rabanera. Get started with a free 15-minute consultation.  Offering online therapy in California, online therapy in Michigan, online therapy in Nebraska, and online therapy in Las Vegas, I specialize in addressing physician burnout, grief counseling, anxiety, depression, and providing tailored mental health treatment for men. Let’s get to work to make lasting positive change.