Testing Positive
This letter originally appeared in the July 2022 issue of Men’s Health Australia.
MORE OFTEN THAN NOT, strong themes emerge when we’re creating an issue of Men’s Health. Leitmotifs pertaining to health, training and society materialise during the planning process, weaving their way subtly through the pieces that make up a specific edition.
Always, larger themes are thoroughly thought through and planned for, such as our annual Strength and Earth issues. Sometimes, however, certain thematic threads emerge organically from a notable characteristic of the cover man or an unavoidable global crisis.
As you read this month’s issue, which is jam-packed with advice on our staples of muscle-building, mental health and self-improvement, I’m sure you’ll notice one pervasive theme: positivity.
The positive vibes start on the very first page with our cover man, Scotty James (click here). Having competed at the highest levels of snowboarding for more than a decade, James remains unjaded – in fact, he’s more passionate than ever about his sport and career. This abundance of hope and optimism – which he’s directing towards winning an elusive Olympic gold when the Winter Games roll around once more in 2026 – has recently overflowed into his personal life in the form of an engagement.
Beyond James, this issue offers a whole lot of Joy. Exultant in both name and deed, Vance Joy (click here) shares his secrets to life and happiness from his current home base of Spain. And while living on the Mediterranean may seem like a path to happiness in itself, the Riptide crooner has a few extra tips up his sleeve for chasing the life you want – nay, deserve. And, of course, no discourse on happiness would be complete without a word or a hundred from Jeff Goldblum (click here), who delights in the ridiculous as he shares his own secrets to living well.
Despite these shining examples of optimism, perhaps these pieces should come with fine print. After all, we live in a world where even ‘testing positive’ can be unequivocally negative when it comes to our health. Yes, dear reader, even positivity can be toxic.
‘Toxic positivity’ is a term that has become more and more common in recent years – a pseudo-psychological phrase that’s teetering on the brink of taking on a life of its own. No one who uses it is suggesting positivity is inherently bad. Rather, they’re saying that a forced and exclusive focus on positive emotions, mindsets and interpretations – at the expense of feeling any other way – is neither healthy nor sustainable.
Of course, big bad social media has a lot to answer for when it comes to adding a layer of pressure to our lives. But there are countermeasures available to restore your focus (click here) and find your happy place.
You could start by reverse-engineering the problem and recognising what makes you happiest. Is it a playlist, a book, working out? Perhaps you’re in a state so dire that even identifying a positive is proving challenging, in which case I’d encourage you to take one further step back, identify your triggers, and avoid them.
This issue will hopefully ignite in you sparks of positivity and provide some impetus to uncover a happier and healthier version of you. Perhaps the best advice on this subject lies in the words of a recently departed member of the Men’s Health family. ‘Coach’, as he was known to those close to him, would always remind his network that the secret to happiness was to give it, not sit around expecting to recieve it. “Don’t forget to stretch, hydrate and be the reason someone else smiles,” he would say following each training session. Even in the darkness that accompanied his passing, I’ve found this advice to be a reliable serotonin booster, for both myself and those around me.