Has nothing to do with current meaningless buzzwords. It's more about callous dismissive responses to emotional pain. From the Verywell website: How to Avoid Toxic Positivity
If you’ve been affected by toxic positivity—or if you recognize this kind of behavior in yourself— there are things that you can do to develop a healthier, more supportive approach. Some ideas include:
- Manage your negative emotions, but don't deny them. Negative emotions can cause stress when unchecked,2 but they can also provide important information that can lead to beneficial changes in your life.
- Be realistic about what you should feel. When you are facing a stressful situation, it’s normal to feel stressed, worried, or even fearful. Don’t expect too much from yourself. Focus on self-care and taking steps that can help improve your situation.
- It’s okay to feel more than one thing. If you are facing a challenge, it’s possible to feel nervous about the future and also hopeful that you will succeed. Your emotions are as complex as the situation itself.
- Focus on listening to others and showing support. When someone expresses a difficult emotion, don’t shut them down with toxic platitudes. Instead, let them know that what they are feeling is normal and that you are there to listen.
- Notice how you feel. Following “positive” social media accounts can sometimes serve as a source of inspiration but pay attention to how you feel after you view and interact with such content. If you are left with a sense of shame or guilt after seeing “uplifting” posts, it might be due to toxic positivity. In such cases, consider limiting your social media consumption.
Give yourself permission to feel your feelings. Instead of trying to avoid difficult emotions, give yourself permission to feel them. These feelings are real, valid, and important. They can provide information and help you see things about a situation that you need to work to change.
This doesn't necessarily mean that you should act on every emotion that you feel. Sometimes it is important to sit with them and give yourself the time and space to process the situation before you take action.
So when you are going through something hard, think about ways to give voice to your emotions in a way that is productive. Write in a journal. Talk to a friend. Research suggests that just putting what you are feeling into words can help lower the intensity of those negative feelings.3
Non-Toxic AlternativesI'm listening.
I'm here no matter what.
That must be really hard.
Sometimes bad things happen. How can I help?
Failure is sometimes part of life.
Your feelings are valid."
When you’re accustomed to privilege, equality feels like oppression.
"Power without love is reckless and abusive, and love without power is sentimental and anemic." - Dr. Martin Luther King Jr
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