What Happens to Your Brain When You Stop Complaining?
While having coffee with a friend, you start telling them about your stressful commute. You get home and text your mom that your friend arrived late and didn’t ask about your new apartment. Venting your frustrations can feel good in the moment, but it might be adding to your stress.
“Complaining comes with the appeal that if you’re talking about your problems, you’re somehow taking action on them,” explains Sabrina Romanoff, a licensed clinical psychologist and professor at Yeshiva University. “Often, people irrationally and subconsciously believe that if they cause themselves pain by being consumed with their problems, thinking about them, and running the ‘worry meter,’ they will somehow make progress on them.”
Constantly complaining can leave you feeling stuck and irritable. Conversely, learning to be more accepting of situations can improve your mood and outlook. That way, you focus on being present and enjoying your time with loved ones, and you don’t allow minor inconveniences to ruin your whole day.
Excerpted from Real Simple
