Toxic Positivity by Sharifah Nadirah

Stop telling me to be positive.

Not when my heart is heavy.

Not when I’m still learning how to feel.

On Toxic Positivity: Stop Telling Me to be Positive by Sharifah Nadirah is a powerful reflection on a truth many people quietly struggle with: that not all positivity heals.

In a world that constantly says “just be strong” and “don’t be sad,” this piece unpacks the hidden harm of suppressing emotions in the name of staying positive.

Through personal insight and psychological understanding, this work explores:

• The difference between toxic positivity and healthy emotional awareness, and why suppressing pain can feel suffocating and isolating.

• how true strength lies in allowing yourself to feel, reflect, and heal.

This is not a rejection of positivity. It is a return to a more honest, human version of it.

Because healing doesn’t begin when you force a smile.

It begins when you stop running from what you feel.