Therapy Techniques  
As we learn more and more on mental health & well-being, it becomes important to be aware of certain tools and techniques that can be used in our daily life to take care of oneself. Since mental health includes our emotional & behavioural, social and cognitive well-being, it affects how we think, feel and act. While making healthy choices is something we always hear about a lot, it is helpful to be aware of what steps can be taken that can actually be beneficial for our well-being. While therapy is a professional space and is conducted by a trained person, knowing a few basic techniques that we can apply in our lives can surely be helpful.  iDare aims to create awareness on this.  
Can positivity really be toxic? 
How many times have we heard phrases like “Good vibes only”, “Never give up”, “Choose happiness”? I sure have heard it quite a lot starting from around me in everyday life to motivational speakers on TED talks. I always wonder, maybe because of the profession I chose, is it possible to make these choices consistently and consciously? And if yes, then what about emotions? Especially one’s that aren’t pleasant, are we to ignore, repress, suppress, distract or numb them? 
I knew from studying psychology that that isn’t the way to go about but it can also be intense when you have all these emotions come up and know nothing about what to do with them. It is not until I happen to come across some people in my own life, personal and professional, that I realized just how negative the impacts of these phrases can be.  
Toxic positivity as we call it can have a lot of impact on our mental well-being. You may ask how? I realized this during my interactions with people, and only when I was expressing my emotions and got these phrases in return. I knew for sure that these people were not actively trying to invalidate me, quite the contrary actually. They genuinely wanted to support me through my emotions but I came to realize they just did not know how. 
In those moments, I realized how we all lack emotional regulation, self or co-regulation and, as we weren’t taught these things growing up. I realized these people are probably using the same phrases with themselves too when these intense emotions come up for them not being able to sit with these emotions, process them or hold space for them only leads to more suppression. A lot of people tend to believe that not feeling their emotions or ignoring them will lead to the emotions not existing.  
This is never the case. The more we numb or suppress or distract, the more these emotions are stored in our bodies as energy and this will eventually lead to physical illnesses. You see the effects of toxic positivity if not used mindfully. That being said, optimism in itself is not a bad thing rather it is very much needed. The trick lies in when and how we use it and where we put a stop to it so as to take into consideration the reality too.  
 
 
 
 
 
Changing thought patterns  




Toxic Positivity 


Validation and Support 





Think only happy thoughts 




Sometimes we can have negative thoughts and that is okay. I can hold space for myself to get move through this 






Failure is not an option 




Failure is a part of growing 






Good vibes only 




I choose to love myself through all emotions 






Other people have it worse 




Their struggles are valid and so are mine 






Be grateful instead of complaining 




I can be grateful for all that I have and still grieve over losing or not having something 






Stay positive 




All emotions are valid, I can allow myself to feel and work through them without getting stuck here 






Things happen for a reason 




Not everything has a reason and sometimes it is okay to accept life can be unfair 






Happiness is a choice 




All emotions are a part of life and it is not realistic to expect to be happy all the time 






Never give up 




It takes courage to give up on things that no longer serve me and that is absolutely okay 






Everything will be okay 




Things are hard right now but I am capable of handling  them and eventually getting to a better place 






Look at the good instead of the bad 




Both good and bad are a part of life and while we cherish the good, it is natural to be upset about the bad 






No excuses 




It is okay to take a break at times 





 
Please remember, these techniques are in no way a substitute to an actual therapy session. We would like to emphasize that if someone is struggling with their mental health and if it is affecting day to day life, it is imperative to consult a trained professional.  
 
If you or somebody you know needs any help to understand therapy techniques in depth or is stressed with issues related to mental health, consider reaching our ‘Support’ and ‘Engage’ verticals for affordable and inclusive help!     
 
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