Elevate Perspectives (March 2023)

Elevate Perspectives (March 2023): How Much Positivity is TOO MUCH?

Every staff meeting at Elevate begins with a round of sharing each person’s current positive focus. Everyone has a turn to share what good is happening in their lives and it can be as simple as looking forward to a movie or being happy about receiving a gift, to the more “serious” good like getting relief from a positive medical report.

Why do we practice this? It sets the tone of the meeting and brings the team closer as we share in each other's positive focus and celebrate it.

There are people in the world (some of them are here at Elevate) who are rays of sunshine. They exude a positive spirit that people are drawn to and appreciate. It seems like they are always happy. Obviously, they have issues that they face just like us and most likely put on a brave face and go on with their lives, but in the end, the sun comes back out and it’s smiles all around again.

Everyone knows the benefits of being positive and how having that outlook affects us well, positively. But is there the possibility that one can be positive to a fault?

Believe it or not, there is something called Toxic Positivity. The word toxic is aptly named, isn’t it? Fortunately for Elevate, no one on the team is this way (cue big sigh of relief).

These are the signs of Toxic Positivity:

1. Brushing off problems rather than facing them

2. Hiding your true feelings behind feel-good quotes that seem socially acceptable

3. Minimising other people’s feelings because they make you uncomfortable

4. Shaming other people when they don't have a positive attitude

Now here's the kicker: have you probably done this sort of thing yourself? Hold up the mirror to your face and take a good look. If you see some signs in you or someone you know, this article on Toxic Positivity can help steer you towards understanding more about it and gain some tools to use to modify how you think.

Apparently, you CAN have too much of a good thing.