For most of last week and over the weekend I was doing well. I was feeling happy and relaxed. Work today was frustrating, it was one of those days where the more it progressed the more I was getting annoyed with people. I definitely vented a couple of times today even though they were muted compared to some of my other vents.

Let’s talk about that though, venting. Why does venting make us feel good? It’s because bottling in our emotions is never a good thing, of course, like many things venting can have negative consequences.

In short, venting is ok as long as you are not doing it all the time or venting to the same all the time, imagine if you were constantly on the receiving end of that. As a person, there is only so much negativity we can take. Also what if you inadvertently vent to the person who upset you in the first place. Venting like everything else needs to not be a habit or else we risk it becoming a negative part of our lives.

Now with the worst of it out of the way how can it be beneficial? First, of course, is the cathartic feeling from the emotional release. I have always found that once I vented my mind becomes a lot more clear and sometimes I can go back to the issue at hand with fresh eyes. Sometimes I may even come to the conclusion that I overreacted or realize that the issue isn’t as big as I thought.

It’s all about how we approach things and not build bad habits. If you can, try some problem solving you can relieve some anger but also take back control when you think things may be getting out of your control. Even if you are not at fault problem solving can help resolve issues.

Taking time to really think about why we are venting will allow us to see that it’s not about us even though it may feel personal at the time. The emotional release may allow us to see the bigger picture and help make the situation seem smaller.