There has been more and more talk bubbling up over the last few years about the idea of "toxic positivity," but it took 2020's sheer insanity to take the idea mainstream.
No one is saying that trying to stay positive or optimistic during a tough time is bad.
However, positivity becomes toxic when a person begins to deny they're in a tunnel in the first place.
When they start trying to force that false narrative on the people struggling around them, the toxicity can actually have the opposite effect to what they think they are trying to achieve.
The constant insistence that it's "not so bad" and "you need to get over it," invalidates the struggle and can often send a person spiralling even deeper.
Instead, those feelings should be acknowledged and listened to, as well as respected.
It may be some time alone or an evening curled up together watching their favorite movie or the dishes done to lighten their load just a little bit.
I can pretty much guarantee that what they don't need is to be told to "turn that frown upside down."
