Vent/Venting

Venting is the act of expressing strong emotions, such as frustration, anger, sadness, or stress, by talking about them, often with a trusted friend, therapist, or writing them down in a journal. Verbally expressing emotions is important and fundamental to self-regulation, but there is such a thing as too much of a good thing. 

A major meta-analytic review of 154 studies involving over 10,000 participants shows that venting does not work. Instead of dousing rage, venting acts like fuel on a fire, keeping physiological arousal high and increasing aggression. Brad Bushman, a social psychologist and professor of communication and human psychology at Ohio State University, is a lead researcher in this area. He suggests that rather than venting when feeling frustrated or angry, we should consider calming techniques like meditation or deep breathing. 

Learn more: 

• Quick Tips to Reduce Anxiety

• Calming Strategies from Mental Health Research Canada