Episode 66: How To Ditch Toxic Positivity and Feel for Real, with Psychotherapist Whitney Goodman
Unpopular opinion: It’s NOT always healthy to find the silver lining in everything. Some things just suck, and we don’t always need to look on the bright side, at the expense of *actually* processing hard feelings.
Our culture is obsessed with a “good vibes only,” and “everything happens for a reason” state of mind that makes us feel like we’re failing if we’re not happy 100% of the time. Trying to see the positive isn’t always positive, sometimes shit happens that doesn’t make us stronger, and we’re ready to break up with toxic positivity so we can fully experience our emotions AND our loved ones’ feelings. (Because nothing is worse than platitudes.)
So this week we called in author and psychotherapist, Whitney Goodman, to help us ditch toxic positivity and get real with our emotions. Whitney is the author of the book Toxic Positivity, a columnist for Psychology Today and appears regularly in publications like The New York Times and Teen Vogue.
No one should have to pretend that everything’s ok when it isn’t, so if you’re looking for some validation, you’ve come to the right place!
Join us as we chat about:
The signs of toxic positivity and why it gets in the way of your healing
Finding the balance between optimism, negativity and toxic positivity
How to deal with friends and family who dismiss your struggles
The productive VS annoying way to complain
The impact of social media on toxic positivity
How to show up for others in a supportive way
We hope this episode helps you deal with your shit and feel all of your very valid feelings.
Follow Whitney:
Toxic Positivity: Keeping It Real in a World Obsessed with Being Happy
