How always "thinking positively" is harmful for your mental health
Scientific litsketch on boosting mental health
Think Positively. Most mental health tips we receive suggest that we should always try to focus on the positive things in life. Indeed, a key strategy for reducing negative emotions following a negative event is to use cognitive reappraisal or changing the way you think about the situation to see it in a more positive light. However, research shows that this strategy can actually backfire if it is used all the time (Haines et al., 2016).
In a study over seven days, the research found that people who use positive thinking (cognitive reappraisal) in situations that are under their control have lower well-being compared to people who use the strategy for situations that are uncontrollable. So looking at the situation in a positive perspective should be done sparingly, doing so only in situations that are beyond your control. Thinking positively can reduce your well-being if it is used unnecessarily in situations that are already in your control.
Blindly trying to see everything in a positive light can be a toil for your mind and your well-being. Sometimes, we need to face our negative emotions as they are when we have the power to change the situation.
The current research teaches us that for events that are beyond your control, use cognitive reappraisal but when events are under your control, try to see the events as they are and focus on implementing immediate actions that can improve the situation.
Haines, S. J., Gleeson, J., Kuppens, P., Hollenstein, T., Ciarrochi, J., Labuschagne, I., ... & Koval, P. (2016). The wisdom to know the difference: Strategy-situation fit in emotion regulation in daily life is associated with well-being. Psychological Science, 27(12), 1651-1659.