EXPERT ADVICE

BALANCE

YOUR BEST SELF: FITNESS, NUTRITION, MINDFULNESS, WELL-BEING

EXPERT ADVICE When Positive

Becomes NEGATIVE

Positivity isn’t always beneficial. In fact, sometimes it’s toxic. While research suggests optimism may lower the risk of developing cardiovascular conditions and even help one live longer, it becomes toxic “when in an interpersonal way, you are saying things to shut down someone else’s experience of their emotions,” says Caryl Rosen, PhD, a clinical psychologist and founding member of Mosaic Therapy in Naples. Instead of the recipient feeling better, they often feel “misunderstood, shut down, and distanced,” she explains.

Rosen says she often notices toxic positivity directed at people who experience a breakup or a significant loss. It’s often used by parents who aren’t sure how to respond to their child’s sadness or anxiety. Another example: people sharing only the positive aspects of their life on social media. “I don’t think people who engage in toxic positivity are malicious or intentional,” Rosen says, who notes using common, seemingly positive phrases can simply become a habit. To learn more about toxic positivity, turn the page. (mosaictherapyfl.com) –Erika Klein