Are You Feeling The Need To Let Off Steam?

Do you feel the need to let off steam?  One of our regular feature writers, Judith Morris, shares why this may not be such a bad thing to do.

Why venting is good for you. 

The last 4 months have been hard for everyone, with so many different pressures on us all, that we have never before experienced and sometimes we just need to let that out.

The pressures of managing money, family, work deadlines and trying to fit in a personal life are bad enough in normal times but wow, add in Covid and the pressure gauge nearly bursts.

When I first sat down to write this I was using the word Rant, but then looked it up and it seems that all and sundry see the word as negative, so I have changed it to Vent. The definitions of these two words are below so I think you will understand why I have altered them:

Rant: speak or shout at length in an angry, impassioned way.

Vent: to release or give expression or utterance to an emotion, idea, etc

There’s nothing wrong with a good vent and a healthy venting session with someone you trust to help you get past the phase you are in. Let it out! In fact, it can be very healthy if you do it safely.

Safely? What’s that supposed to mean?

Truth be told, whilst it might feel good at the time, a good old-fashioned vent can also get you in a heap of trouble, making matters even worse, especially in this day and age where everyone takes offence at anything you say without even rationalising.  It can damage your reputation; make you seem difficult to be around and create trust issues with others, however unwarranted,  — at work and at home.

You need to pick someone who is 100+% trustworthy, someone who won’t video you on their phone to post on social media later, someone who won’t contact the Press to complain that you have been racist, sexist or whatever ist your vent could be seen as rather than just what it is.

A good venting session with the right person should be raw and unedited. This is your chance to tell it like it is from your point of view, with whatever language you choose. You can scream, curse and gesture all you want — and indeed you should. The whole point is not to find a solution but to get the situation off your chest. There’s no need to be politically correct or to use proper grammar. Just be honest and emotional, so that you can move on. Your subject matter can be anything – anything that has built up in you so nothing should be taboo. Remember your feelings are just as valid as everyone else’s, you are entitled to them, they are right as they apply to you and as long as you do no harm verbally or physically then it is all ok.

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if, in the interests of our mental health, we could hold venting sessions with like minded people just to get everything off our chests? Sadly, I don’t that this is likely in this day and age and that is a real shame as I truly believe that a good vent helps everyone from time to time and this loss of trust and over use of mobile phones has ruined that. Ah – I feel a vent coming on………………..

All text © Judith Morris 2020.

Judith is Proprietor of York Tutors   www.yorktutors.co.uk