I am Dr. Hassan, a Board-Certified Physiatrist and Independent Practice Owner. I help physiatrists start and grow their own profitable practices so they can achieve financial independence and live without limits.

When building a profitable practice, it’s important to remain positive. But how can positivity be toxic? Can a positive person potentially poison themselves and others with a relentlessly upbeat outlook? How are you supposed to get over life’s many difficulties if you don’t adopt a positive attitude? Those are often questions asked by a person suffering from toxic positivity. This type of individual simply can’t see reality. If it’s negative in nature, they adopt a can-do attitude no matter how terrifically difficult or potentially dangerous the situation is. They believe an optimistic approach to life can heal all ills, and even prevent tragedy from appearing in the first place. This view of life through rose-colored glasses raises the risk of developing stress related illnesses. This person ignores negative emotions and problems that need to be dealt with. There are plenty of negative side effects caused by toxic positivity.

Here are four proven ways to keep this overly positive outlook from causing damage in your life and your practice:

1. Practice mindfulness. This is more than being objectively mindful and aware of your current situation. Take a few moments and think about how you’re feeling. What’s going on in your mind and in your body? Don’t give voice to any particular thought or feeling. Just notice your present moment of existence. Don’t judge any of your feelings. Acknowledge negative and positive emotions and then move on. This can help you realize that all feelings are equal and ignoring negative emotions can aggravate a difficult situation.

2. Feel your feelings. Your emotions are yours. You’re feeling them right now for a reason. It doesn’t mean you’re less of a man if you cry. You aren’t less of a woman if expressing emotions is difficult for you. You are who you are, and your feelings are feelings. Recognize and process them without ignoring all but the happiest of emotions.

3. Is your positive view totally contrarian? If the entire world sees a situation one way and you disagree, you might be right. Establishing a new and controversial viewpoint has led to some of life’s greatest discoveries. In many cases, it’s toxic positivity refusing to let you deal with reality.

4. Be more childlike. Children don’t hold back their feelings. They live life as naturally as possible. The youngest children allow their emotions to have a life. They don’t respond to negative stimuli with positivity and vice versa. They experience life as their minds and emotions naturally respond.

The first step to preventing toxic positivity is awareness. You realize a constantly positive outlook might be a problem, proven by the fact that you’re reading this article. That’s the first step to limiting your life and your practice with toxic positivity.

It’s important to know when to be positive and when to embrace negative emotions. Check out our blog post here for more insight on positivity when building your profitable practice.

I’m Dr. Hassan, a Board-Certified Physiatrist and Independent Practice Owner. I help physiatrists start and grow their own profitable practices so they can achieve financial independence and live without limits. Please go to businessofrehab.com/guide to pick up the free guide to help you determine the best business entity for your new practice.

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