4 Steps To Emotional Validation (2 of 4)

Practicing Emotional Validation

Toxic positivity hinders us from achieving emotional stability and invalidates the emotions felt by the ones we love. If we are constantly bombarded with the message, “The solution to every problem is to smile and think positively,” it prevents us from confronting the feelings that we have and finding ways to work them out. Fortunately, practicing emotional validation is effective and easy to do. Here are the 4 steps to achieve this.

Step One: Think Before You Respond

When a friend is going through some hard times, or when you counter terrible news of your own, you might instinctively feel like you need to give an immediate response. We might blurt out comforting expressions like “everything is going to be alright” or “you’ll see that it was for the best.” 

But it is important to be cautious because this might not be what the person needs to hear right now. Instead, a better strategy is to pause for a moment and reflect on the situation before responding. 

The first big step is to recognize that we experience negative emotions and be in tune with our feelings when they happen. When we are able to come to terms with our emotions, we are equipped with the tools to help others.