What exactly does 'toxic positivity' look like, and why should leaders avoid it like fire?
"At times, it is perceived as a given that one should always strive to stay upbeat and optimistic at work," shares psychologist and International Islamic University Malaysia assistant professor Dr Pamilia Lourdunathan. "However, telling a person who is coping with emotional loneliness, mental stress and pandemic fatigue during the lockdown to look at the bright side can be unhelpful and dangerous psychologically.
"Well-intended phrases such as ‘it could be worse', ‘stay positive’ or even ‘be thankful’ shuts off further conversations about one’s emotional state," she adds, reiterating the danger of tacitly ignoring team members' struggles.
See also: Bumble’s CEO Gives 'Burnt Out' Staff A Week Off
"The past year, we've witnessed a lot of stress, anxiety, burnout, and worse still, suicide cases on the rise," says Edwin Wang, founder of e-commerce wellness platform Signature Market. "Mindset is the key in creating an innovative world-class company in Malaysia. It's not about fancy colourful bean bags or a fun ping pong table in the office. It's about how the leadership team treats their greatest asset, which is their employees."
When managing a team, these simple and purposeful changes could make a world of difference in creating a more authentic company culture free of 'toxic positivity'.
"Employers can help boost their employees’ morale by modelling healthy behaviours, specifically on handling emotions in healthy ways," says Lourdunathan. "It helps to continually remind your staff to maintain a work-life balance and to schedule time for self-care while also practicing this yourself."
Wang, a proponent of conscious living, adds: "We can't teach what we've never experienced; at Signature Marketplace, we promote the concept of conscious living internally via workshops and even gratitude journals—everyone in the company gets a guided gratitude journal and is encouraged to use it."
"avoid it" - Google News
July 15, 2021 at 05:30AM
https://ift.tt/3yTRNlM
What Is 'Toxic Positivity'? Plus How To Avoid It At Work - Tatler Hong Kong
"avoid it" - Google News
https://ift.tt/3844a1y
https://ift.tt/2SzWv5y
No comments:
Post a Comment