On the face of it, trying to remain optimistic during difficult times seems to make sense.

Whether it’s finances, friends or relationships, finding ways to look on the bright side when things aren’t going right is often used as a way to lift ourselves out of the darkness we may be feeling – and while this may be done with good intentions, its effect can sometimes be damaging.

The term often used to explain this is toxic positivity, which is something that counsellor Bobbi Banks has explored in a recent Instagram post.

“Toxic positivity involves dismissing negative emotions and responding to distress with false reassurances rather than empathy and compassion,” she wrote. “It comes from feeling uncomfortable with negative emotions.⁣”

The counsellor adds that using toxic positivity often results in the “denial, minimisation and invalidation of our emotional experience”, and in some ways, if this positivity is used to cover up or silence difficult feelings, “it can become toxic”.

Mental health: 7 signs of toxic positivity that show you could be dismissing negative emotions