How Venting Can Backfire And Make You Feel Worse

 

 

 

 

 

Q. Is venting good for your mental health?

While venting might feel good in the moment, doing it over and over again without any resolution or forward progress can make you feel worse.

Excessively complaining and rehashing personal problems with someone else is known as co-rumination, and research shows it can increase stress, especially in those who are already feeling down.

A patient who had a difficult relationship with her mother-in-law would spend hours going over the latest incident or insult with her best friend, speculating about what the monster-in-law might do next.

It was their go-to conversation. Afterward, she realized, she often felt even angrier and more frustrated.

The problem with venting is that it amplifies negativity.

The more you think or talk about an issue, the more salient it becomes.

It’s adding fuel to the fire. Next time you feel like doing so, try focusing on problem-solving or talking about something else entirely.

Also, keep an eye on the clock. If you spend more than 15 minutes on the problem, it’s time to move on.

Discourage venting from others as well. If your best friend calls you to talk about something that is bothering her, resist joining in and asking questions that encourage her to reｃount every little detail.

“Start from the beginning and tell me everything!” will only lead to a play-by-play of what happened and what she was feeling. It encourages rumination.

Consider asking a question that might enable her to gain distance from the situation and insight, such as: “If someone else were in this situation, what advice would you give her?” Rather than dwelling on the details, help her generate a plan of action.

 

Article Source : https://www.marieclaire.com/health-fitness/a26224382/venting-can-make-you-feel-worse/

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VOCABULARY :

 

 

1. Venting (gerund) – giving free expression (to a strong emotion)

2. rehashing (gerund) - considering or discussing (something) at length after it has happened

3. rumination (noun) - a deep or considered thought about something

4. co-rumination (noun) - referring to extensively discussing and revisiting problems, speculating about problems, and focusing on negative feelings with peers.

5. go-to conversation (noun/informal) - a conversation regularly sought out in a particular situation

6. amplifies(verb) - cause to become more marked or intense

7. salient (adjective) -most noticeable or important

8. play-by-play (noun) - a detailed running commentary         

 

 

QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION

 

1. What does the article say about venting?

2. According to the article, when is venting bad for you?

2. Who tells you his or her problems? How often do you talk about it?

3. Who do you tell your problems to? How often do you talk about it?

4. What do you do when somebody keeps on talking about their grievances? How do you feel about it?