When Positivity Turns Toxic: How to Spot It and What to Do Instead
In today’s wellness culture, there’s constant pressure to “stay positive.” But when positivity is forced, it can cross a line into something harmful: toxic positivity.
What is Toxic Positivity?
Toxic positivity is the belief that no matter how hard or painful life gets, you should keep a positive mindset and push aside any “negative” emotions.
This mindset shows up in phrases like:
“Just be grateful.”
“Look on the bright side!”
“Good vibes only.”
While well-meaning, these sayings can dismiss real feelings and leave us feeling unseen and invalidated.
Examples of Toxic Positivity
Spotting toxic positivity can be subtle. Here are common examples:
Telling someone to “get over it” when they share something painful.
Feeling guilty or weak for being sad, angry, or overwhelmed.
Hiding your true feelings to appear “happy” all the time.
Forcing yourself to smile when you really need to cry or rest.
Why is Toxic Positivity Harmful?
Suppressing emotions doesn’t make them disappear — it stores them deeper in the subconscious mind. Over time, this can increase anxiety, stress, procrastination, and even physical tension.
Balanced mental wellness means feeling the full range of emotions — not just the easy ones.
How to Deal With Toxic Positivity
Instead of forcing fake positivity, try balanced positivity — the practice of making space for real feelings and hope at the same time.
Try this:
Pause when you notice you’re dismissing your feelings.
Name what you’re truly feeling without judgment.
Use a simple visualization to let the feeling exist and pass.
Simple Visualization to Release Toxic Positivity
Picture your feeling as a small cloud above your head.
Watch it float and shift naturally.
Instead of pushing it away, just observe.
Remind yourself: “Feelings pass when I let them breathe.”
Using Self-Hypnosis to Process Emotions
Self-hypnosis can help you process stuck emotions gently and safely. That’s why I created burble — an app that guides you through personalized, science-backed sessions to work with your subconscious mind where real change happens.
Unlike forced positivity, burble helps you notice, accept, and shift your inner patterns — so you can feel better for real.
Journal Prompt:
What feeling have you been telling yourself you shouldn’t feel? Write it down. What might happen if you allowed it, even just for today?
Final Thoughts
Positivity is powerful — but only when it’s real. Let yourself feel everything. Then choose how you want to move forward.
Ready to explore real change, beyond “good vibes only”?
Start your first personalized self-hypnosis session at goburble.com.