Somewhere along the way, positivity stopped being a healthy mindset and turned into a sparkly prison. Enter today’s episode, where we lovingly take a sledgehammer to the “Good Vibes Only” sign hanging over your emotional life. Because let’s be honest — if smiling really cured everything, most of us would have glowing skin, six-figure bank accounts, and bodies that don’t require three specialist appointments a month. We’re talking about toxic positivity — the cultural pressure to “look on the bright side” while your world is on fire. You’ve seen it: Instagram captions, coffee mugs, even medical waiting rooms telling you to “Choose joy” as if your T-cell count cares about your vision board. This episode dives into why this brand of glitter-wrapped optimism isn’t encouragement — it’s emotional duct tape over a bullet wound.

We’ll unpack the sneaky difference between gratitude (real, grounded, soul-lifting) and toxic positivity (shove-your-feelings-in-a-closet-and-smile). We’ll also look at how science says suppressing negative emotions doesn’t make you healthier — it can actually jack up your cortisol, worsen inflammation, and even make autoimmune symptoms flare. Spoiler: your immune system doesn’t care how positive your vibes are.

This conversation is for the chronic illness warriors, the trauma survivors, and anyone who’s ever been told “Everything happens for a reason” while crying in their car. We’ll give you permission to feel your feelings without guilt, embrace sacred rage, and ugly cry as part of your actual healing.

Because healing isn’t “good vibes only.” It’s good vibes, bad vibes, and all the honest, messy human vibes in between.