TOXIC: it's one of those 'buzz' words that has made it into popular culture to describe everything we feel has maladaptive qualities. When considering the title for this podcast we had a conversation about whether we ought to use the term, since the very use of it indicates a resistance to what is a common cultural coping strategy. By labelling something toxic we banish it to shameful places in ourselves which in turn shuts down curiosity and open exploration, something very much needed if we are going to understand this phenomenon better.
We decided to to run with the term since it provides a useful heuristic people immediately connect with, but this conversation is not about tearing down the mantle, we have fun exploring the cultural drive towards positivity and why we find it so hard to experience the full range of our own emotions and that of others. We offer workable solutions to allowing experiences we might find difficult to process, we discuss how capitalism plays a role in reinforcing positivity, gaslighting ourselves and how to reclaim our 'realness' in a culture that is constantly suggesting we self-abandon either overtly or covertly. Fun conversation with many twists and turns. It's good to be back.
Show Notes:
We mentioned the work of Barbara Ehrenreich Bright Sided.
We referenced a study 'Positive Psychology: Kindness Changes the Chromosomes
We used the R.A.I.N technique created by Michele McDonald and popularized by Tara Brach.
Alex mentioned the podcast No Stupid Questions ep 120 Why Are Rich Countries So Unhappy, as of 2022 Finland is still rated as the happiest country in the world, whereas the US is now 19.
Work with Alex: IG @womansbodycoach www.thewomansbodycoach.com
Work with T Beingrealnow.org
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