“Just stay positive!”
If those three words don’t make your blood boil, you haven’t worked in an office with “toxic positivity.”
Toxic positivity is coined for a situation that occurs when a work environment encourages positive emotions to the point of stamping out any negative feelings, however warranted they may be. It often involves dismissing negative emotions, reactions or experiences and replacing them with false reassurances. And while urging others to “c’mon get happy!” dates back to the joyous days of the Great Depression, the amount of positivity being foisted upon people—especially during times of economic stress or social upheaval—seems to be running rampant these days.
According to the site Science of People, nearly 68% of respondents to a study reported experiencing toxic positivity within weeks of the survey, while over 75% conceded to ignoring their own emotions “in favor of being happy.”
“Toxic positivity is often used to manipulate others to think or act in a certain way for one’s own benefit,” Rosey LaVine writes at scienceofpeople.com. In many ways it’s a form of gaslighting—though in workplace situations the negative aspects are often unintentional. In fact, some managers or supervisors confuse their misguided positivity as being motivational.
Common phrases that minimize or invalidate honest emotions include “it’ll work out,” “failure is not an option,” “look on the bright side” and “it could be worse,” according to the Positive Planner, a self-empowerment website. (And if the folks at Positive Planner are red-flagging over-positivity, you know it’s a problem.)
LaVine says toxic positivity may be difficult to identify when a power dynamic is involved—such as when it’s coming from company leadership. “Employees may strive to please their leader, even to the detriment of their well-being and the company’s well-being, because they want to be perceived as a team player,” she writes. “As a result, employees may deny their struggles or fail to bring up important issues for fear of coming across as negative and losing their job.”
That said, toxic positivity shouldn’t be confused with positive thinking, which recognizes difficult challenges, but seeks ways to turn them into opportunity and growth. Positivity turns toxic when it abandons a basis in reality.
The good news is that this type of overplaying good vibes is increasingly recognized in workplace situations and, thanks to a better overall understanding of its negative consequences, toxic positivity may one day be a thing of the past.
So there you have it, folks—problem solved, all good!!
6 ways to recognize toxic positivity in the workplace
- You’re surrounded by ‘yes’ people
- Flattery is excessive
- Busyness is up, productivity is down
- Employees taking sick days increases
- Weak relationships among colleagues
- Innovation is at a standstill
