MIND MATTERS
Keep smiling!
Psychotherapist Owen O’ Kane on how ‘toxic positivity’ can do more harm than good
Owen O’ Kane
Today I want to share my dislike of extreme positivity. I find it toxic and I’ll explain why. It might seem odd to be reading an article on toxic positivity by a therapist and author who has written a book about happiness, but I’m not one for fantasy or fairy tales. I also don’t believe in feigned happiness — we have all tried clicking our heels and never found ourselves back in Kansas. So why I am writing about toxic positivity at this time of great struggle, during a global pandemic? Because I believe it’s making us more miserable!