(WellnessPursuits.com) – We all need to vent once in a while. Stress can get to anyone, making the world feel dark and lonely. It can help a lot to have someone to talk to when times are tough. It’s not, after all, healthy to keep all your disappointments and frustrations bottled up.
So who do you turn to when times are tough? Having a “vent buddy” means you’ll always know who is ready with a non-judgmental ear — and who can expect the same from you in return from time to time.
Why Venting Is Important
Actually, having the right emotional support is critical to your long- and short-term wellbeing. Believe it or not, having someone you can trust with your darker moments is as important as any other part of your self-care regimen. Having someone to talk to may even reduce your risks of suffering from stress-related health issues.
Why? Venting helps you let go of problems you might otherwise allow to fester inside you. Since your venting buddy is likely to be less emotionally involved in your situation, they may also help you gain a clearer perspective on your problems, giving you a chance to cool off and take a step back. And even if they aren’t able to help you find a solution, they can help validate your feelings and give you the reassurance you need to move on.
But choose your vent buddy wisely. Your buddy needs to be someone you can trust to never use what you say against you, gossip or add fuel to the fire. Venting is all about feeling better and finding solutions, so confide in someone with a track record of being a good steward of private information. They need to be a loyal confidante to you.
The Benefits of Opening Your Ear
It’s also good for you to be someone else’s confidante. Being a non-judgmental ear for someone else can help you deepen your connection with that person. Listening helps you shift your focus away from your own problems for a while, and it might even help you see your own issues from a different perspective. Besides all that, being helpful just plain feels good.
Keeping It Healthy
It’s important that you vent productively. Constantly complaining about the same problems without doing anything to fix them will grow old very quickly. Your vent buddy is likely to grow tired of hearing about the same issues over and over again. You also need to make sure you aren’t using venting as a means to downplay or justify your actions in an upsetting event.
You do no one, including yourself, any favors by playing the victim. Remember, you’re looking to express your frustrations and bounce ideas against someone who’s objective and trustworthy.
Your vent buddy can only be of help if your goal is to get it out and move on. Sure, you’re going to vilify the source of your grief early on in your vent but you gotta also be willing to move on. You won’t be open to solutions if you’re only willing to see one side of the issue.
A good vent buddy will help you survive hard times and find your way through difficult situations. Choose wisely, and you both stand to grow as individuals and as friends, helping one another make better sense of this crazy and sometimes unforgiving world. So, who’s your vent buddy?
~Here’s to Your Healthy Pursuits!
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