Why Toxic Positivity Doesn’t Heal: The Importance of Embracing All Your Emotions
Have you ever noticed that when you’re feeling sad, angry, or frustrated, people often rush to tell you, “Look on the bright side,” or “Focus on the half-full glass”?
I used to do this myself, especially when someone I cared about was going through a tough time. I thought my optimism was helping, believing that by focusing on the positive, I could make everything better. But over time, I’ve learned that pushing away tough emotions doesn’t lead to healing, it just keeps us stuck.
It’s interesting how quickly we try to avoid uncomfortable feelings. We’re almost conditioned to believe that negative emotions are something we shouldn’t feel. But why do we do that? Is it because those feelings, sadness, anger, frustration make us uncomfortable or even ashamed? Is it because we think we’re not allowed to feel vulnerable, or that feeling upset makes us weak?
Here’s the truth: avoiding those hard emotions doesn’t make them go away. In fact, it often just buries them deeper, leaving us feeling disconnected from ourselves. Suppressing our emotions doesn’t help us heal; it prevents us from truly understanding what’s going on inside. When we embrace all our feelings, yes, even the messy ones. We give ourselves the space to process and heal in a way that actually works.
Instead of focusing solely on "good vibes" or forcing ourselves to be happy all the time, what if we allowed ourselves to feel the full range of our emotions? What if we stopped seeing negative feelings as something to avoid and started seeing them as opportunities to grow? After all, it’s through facing our feelings head-on that we can learn, grow, and move forward.
At The Shock Connection, I believe in the power of self-compassion and emotional validation. Healing isn’t about pushing away the tough emotions, it’s about giving yourself permission to feel them, process them, and learn from them. When we stop avoiding discomfort, we start creating space for true emotional healing.
If you’re ready to embrace all your emotions and start your journey toward healing, The Shock Connection is here to help. Visit theshockconnection.com to learn more and get the support you need to navigate life’s emotional ups and downs.
💔 Supporting Kids Through Big Feelings: A Tender Book Recommendation
If you're a parent or caregiver going through a separation or divorce, you know how deeply it impacts the whole family, especially children. Sometimes, kids don’t have the words to express what they’re feeling. Other times, they do, but it comes out as anger, silence, or sadness that’s hard to understand.
That’s why I love the children's book “I Don’t Want to Talk About It” by Jeanie Franz Ransom, beautifully illustrated by Kathryn Kunz Finney. This gentle, thoughtful story gives young readers a way to understand and talk about their big emotions around divorce, without pressure or shame. It opens the door to emotional expression by letting kids know that all feelings, anger, sadness, fear, even confusion are valid.
👉 Want a sneak peek before picking up the book?
I’ve linked to a short YouTube video with my thoughts on I Don’t Want to Talk About It that you can watch or recommend to a loved one. It’s a simple but powerful way to begin a conversation.
Because just like adults, children don’t need to be “talked out of” their feelings.
They need to be seen, heard, and gently held in them.
image credit: <a href="https://www.vecteezy.com/photo/39074736-ai-generated-abstract-background-consisting-of-pieces-of-broken-mirror">AI generated Abstract background consisting of pieces of broken mirror Stock photos by Vecteezy</a>