This misconception about happiness actually prevents us from being happy, according to experts

In our quest for happiness, feeling sadness or anger can sometimes seem taboo. The injunction to be happy all the time has become omnipresent, creating what we call “toxic positivity.”

This insidious pressure can have detrimental consequences on our mental well-being. This is notably the observation of a scientific study which points out the detrimental effects of social pressure to always feel joy.

Toxic positivity: being happy at all costs

Researchers Brock Bastian of the University of Melbourne and Egon Dejonckheere of the University of Leuven surveyed nearly 7,500 people in 40 countries about their emotional well-being and life satisfaction, as well as their mental health disorders. mood. The findings indicate that people around the world who feel a constant insistence on being happy and avoiding sadness tend to suffer from mental health problems. They are less satisfied with their lives, experience more negative emotions, fewer positive emotions, and have higher levels of depression, anxiety and stress.

This toxic positivity stems from the common idea that we should always prioritize the positive, even if that means ignoring or minimizing our negative emotions. Well-intentioned phrases such as “you have everything to be happy”, “you will get over it”, or “there are worse things in life” may seem harmless, but they reinforce the pressure to always put on a smile.

Accept emotions to put an end to the injunction to happiness

Social media, with its images of perfect lives and uninterrupted happiness, has amplified this phenomenon. Positivity then becomes a mask we wear to hide our authentic emotions, and it makes it more difficult to open up about what is wrong.

Toxic positivity may seem like a laudable intention, but it is not the solution. True happiness lies in accepting our emotions and those of others, whatever they may be. It is essential to listen with empathy and let people express their sadness and anger without always trying to put them into perspective.