How to navigate toxic positivity in summer
With the dominating force of social media, the pressure to always feel happy and positive is ever-increasing. This can feel especially intense during the summer months.
But what if you are not feeling positive this summer? Or you’re going through a really challenging period? With holidays, social gatherings and outdoor activities, the expectation to constantly display cheerfulness and enthusiasm is amplified, especially when you see everyone else having an action-packed summer period, which can further intensify your own challenges.
This toxic positivity can be detrimental as you try to push past your own negative emotions to get on board with the ‘be positive’ mentality because it’s summer and everyone else seems to be having a great time. However, abstaining from negative emotions and not allowing yourself to feel in the long run only prevents us from addressing the problem and enabling healing.
In this article, I will delve into three strategies to encourage you not to shy away from your negative emotions this summer, and discuss how to address these emotions in a sustainable and healthy way.
1) Acknowledge it’s ok not to be ok and take steps to reset
In summer, there are many possible triggers that might cause you to not feel ok. From the heat and humidity causing summer-pattern SAD, financial stresses relating to childcare and holidays to body-image issues.
During the summertime, with more social events to attend and longer daylight hours, generally, individuals are often more cheerful. However, the heightened positive emotions can often be another cause for feeling negative. With the increase in interactions, our nervous systems are flooded with all the feel-good neurotransmitters, which means the receivers become saturated and the emitters become depleted.
Regardless of the challenges or intensity of the situation, with toxic positivity, individuals must always uphold a positive mindset. However, it is important that this is challenged because it’s setting you up to fail. Emphasising that it is ok to not feel ok, we can show it’s healthy and normal to experience and express negative emotions.
With this in mind, individuals should prioritise hitting the reset button. Actions such as meditation, quiet contemplation, or even doing a hobby you love can all be simple yet effective ways to reset your mind. By taking a step back and resting in a low-stimulation environment, individuals can enhance their well-being in a healthy and sustainable manner.
2) Embrace the negative emotions
Unfortunately, our problems cannot be solved through positive thinking alone, and whilst the act of suppressing negative thoughts can be helpful, it cannot remove them permanently. When we feel a negative emotion it is crucial to acknowledge and validate these emotions, even amidst the summer’s expected cheer and activities.
Ultimately, to embrace negative emotions, you need to understand where the emotion is arising from. These emotions often stem from current circumstances. For example, during summer, individuals may face challenges such as an increase in social pressures from numerous events and gatherings.
Struggling to engage with these, especially when you would normally be excited for them is an indicator of underlying issues that need to be addressed. By acknowledging and understanding them, rather than ignoring them and trying to push through them, we can recognise these signals as prompts to take necessary action.
3) Seek a deep connection with what makes you truly happy
To be happy we must stop looking for external drivers of happiness, whether that’s a beach holiday, summer festivals or having the “perfect” friendships/relationships.
To overcome this short-term, superficial happiness we need to look inside. Not through affirmations but a conscious awareness, in a flow where mind and body are immersed in the present. Fostering a deeper connection with yourself can enable you to be more present, truly understand your values, and goals and recognise what brings you joy throughout the summer months.
Ultimately, when we feel a negative emotion, it is important to recognise where it is coming from, especially during the summertime. There are two sources. One is from events in the present, such as the pressures of summer social activities or the stress of planning a holiday. The other source is from traumatic experiences in the past, which are being triggered by events in the present.
Neither of these challenges can be solved solely with affirmations and positive thinking, so it is important to acknowledge that it is okay not to be okay, embrace negative emotions and seek what truly makes you happy this summer.
Dr Lisa Turner is a leading voice in the spiritual community, the bestselling author of CET Yourself Free and a passionate advocate for humanity’s conscious evolution. Her academic background combined with her spiritual training has helped thousands of people around the world to connect with their higher self using a grounded, practical approach that integrates clear, actionable steps into their daily lives.
In her new book, Our Conscious Tipping Point, Lisa passionately encourages changemakers and conscious leaders to master the art of turning chaos into opportunity, not only for personal transformation but to galvanise real global change. Our Conscious Tipping Point takes Turner’s thinking a step further, delving deeper into how humanity currently stands at a crossroads with a choice to evolve to a higher consciousness.
