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The Opposite of Toxic Positivity
Countless books have been written on the “power of gratitude” and the importance of counting your blessings, but that sentiment may feel like cold comfort during the coronavirus pandemic, when blessings have often seemed scant.
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Can Coping With COVID Make Things Worse?
How people respond to health threats can influence their own health and, when people are facing communal risks, even their community’s health. This interview explores how reducing fear may jeopardize health behaviors.
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Edward Diener, Psychologist Known as Dr. Happiness, Dies at 74
Edward Diener, a playful social psychologist who was nicknamed Dr. Happiness for his pioneering research into what defined contentment, died on April 27 at his home in Salt Lake City. He was 74. The cause was
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Even I Have to Admit That Being Positive is Good For Your Health
I have often admitted here that I’m a pessimist by nature, but even I have to agree that the health evidence in favour of taking a positive view of life is impressive. The most recent
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Laurie Santos Says Self-Care Doesn’t Have to Be Selfish
Laurie Santos, a psychology professor at Yale University and host of The Happiness Lab podcast, is a leading expert in positive psychology, a relatively young field. Since she began teaching “The Science of Well-Being” in 2018, it
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Time to Ditch ‘Toxic Positivity,’ Experts Say: ‘It’s Okay Not To be Okay’
In the midst of a raging pandemic and widespread social unrest, these days it can feel as if reassuring platitudes are inescapable. “Everything will be fine.” “It could be worse.” “Look on the bright side.”
