Emotional Ventilation: What It Is And How To Apply It To Gain Well-being
Emotions are the way in which human beings give meaning and shape to our feelings; without them we would act like a kind of automaton. Emotions are reactions of our body in response to things we see or experience.
The cause of the emotions is usually identifiable to ourselves and normally this sensation occurs for a limited period of time. At first the emotion may manifest intensely, but as we continue to experience it, its strength diminishes.
Some people habitually suppress their emotions, waiting for them to go away. But far from being a good practice, systematically containing our emotions does not reduce their intensity; rather, it can put us at risk, since our emotions and the way we express them are crucial to maintaining our physical and mental health.
There are different techniques in the field of cognitive behavioral psychology that help with emotion management. In this article specifically we talk about emotional ventilation a new psychotherapeutic technique that helps express our feelings and also how to apply it.
Emotional ventilation is a psychotherapeutic technique that allows us to provide an outlet for the emotions that we try to ignore Through emotional ventilation we can express our moods and feelings, to avoid becoming physically or mentally ill.
Stress, anxiety and other mental health problems appear when we are not able to express what we feel. The main objective of emotional ventilation is to reduce the harmful effects that emotional repression has on health. This psychotherapeutic technique uses different physical and mental processes to help accept and express feelings. It also makes use of positive affirmations.
If as children we grew up in an environment where emotions were not frequently expressed, or where showing them was considered a weakness, it is very likely that as adults we will choose to repress them on a regular basis.
Furthermore, also From a very young age we learn how our emotions affect our environment We see that people around us respond differently when we are happy or angry, sad or happy. The reactions of our environment to our emotions make us classify them as positive or negative, and this is how we begin to hide, as children, certain feelings that we consider invalid or defective.
But as we grow, We must understand that bad emotions do not exist Human nature involves going through different emotions and accepting them, even those that we consider negative or are frowned upon according to our interpretation of the world.
Enjoying good emotional ventilation means accepting all our emotions and being able to express them.
Why do we repress our feelings?
All human beings, without exception, go through bad times throughout our lives. Loss, failure, and frustration are part of the human experience; these moments are accompanied by pain, sadness, anger, among other feelings considered negative. Some people routinely resort to repression as a coping strategy to get through difficult times.
These people often hide and avoid the pain they experience , either pretending that everything is fine or distracting their minds with other thoughts. They do their best to try to avoid the unpleasant sensations that come with negative experiences.
However, ignoring or hiding emotions does not make them disappear, they remain inside. Emotions that are hidden or repressed often find a way to manifest themselves, sometimes as physical symptoms or even as an episode of anxiety or depression.
If we repress our feelings inside, they will end up coming out in the worst possible way By being able to express them, we are able to free ourselves from them. This will not only help improve our mood, but it has been proven that talking about what happens to us has benefits for general health, both physical and mental, in addition to improving our relationship with the rest of the world.
How can we apply Emotional Ventilation?
There are many different ways to apply emotional ventilation, the main idea is that people are able to express their feelings and emotions to anyone in their inner circle who they consider can understand them. This does not mean that we have to share our pain with everyone, but that we can choose someone with whom we have a connection and who we know will understand us to free us.
However, some people are afraid to let go of their emotions because they fear being judged or because they don’t have a friend available all the time. If there is no one in our environment with whom we feel comfortable sharing our emotions, Self-expression can also function as an emotional window
Taking time to validate our emotions, understand where they come from, and listen to what we feel calmly and without judgment can also allow us to unload. In some cases, writing can be helpful in releasing emotions, especially when we are going through difficult times.
A specialized psychologist or therapist can help us process our feelings and accept them This specialist will not only practice active listening, but can teach us techniques to perform better emotional ventilation, helping us understand what we feel and also why we feel it.
As we see, there are different ways to free ourselves from our emotions. Emotional ventilation can be done orally, through dialogue with a friend or a specialized therapist, or in writing, where A third person can also intervene or be done individually through self-expression for example thanks to a diary.
The important thing is that we choose the option we choose to express ourselves, we must not forget that all emotions fulfill a specific function, and the objective of ventilation is to give them space to free ourselves.
Emotional ventilation techniques
There are many ways to release emotions, and some are more beneficial than others depending on what is needed. Next, we will see some exercises that can be very useful to use emotional ventilation.
1. Identify your own emotions
Most of the time, people are able to identify what we feel and the specific causes of our emotions. But in some complex situations it seems that we lose this perceptive capacity, for example we can show anger in the face of a loss. In these cases it is important to take time to identify the true feelings, and explore the situation to be able to deal with it appropriately and recover our well-being
2. Accept emotions
Accepting and embracing emotions is one of the most effective emotional ventilation techniques. Allowing yourself to feel different emotions, even if they are negative, is natural and necessary in life. Only by accepting that you have the right to feel each emotion, is it possible to achieve emotional balance.
People who do not allow themselves to feel tend to be quite self-demanding of themselves That is why it is also important to lower the level of demands on yourself and allow yourself to be a human being with all your feelings, including the negative ones.
3. Talk to others
One way to free ourselves from our emotions is to talk to others about what happens to us. But this It will only work if we feel heard and understood Active listening involves preparing to listen, observing nonverbal messages, and then responding appropriately. When this happens, it shows that our interlocutor is paying attention to what we are saying. This way of listening demonstrates a mutual connection between the speaker and the listener.
4. Get the emotions out
Emotional ventilation allows us to vent the emotions that we try to ignore. Some people have more difficulty than others opening up to others or showing their emotions. In this case, you can find ways to release emotions that do not involve third parties, for example, playing a sport or finding a form of artistic expression
To better manage emotions, you can also use different relaxation techniques, such as yoga or mindfulness meditation. In addition, these practices provide great benefits for physical and mental health. Another technique to release emotions is to keep a personal journal. Diaries help us vent our deepest emotions, allowing us to know ourselves better and helping us to be more assertive with ourselves.
Finally, each experience and each emotion can expand our understanding of situations and ourselves. Appreciating what we feel, and even why we feel that way, even if it may not be pleasant at first, can help us understand ourselves better, and even allow us to get through difficult times more easily. Expressing what happens to us is necessary for our emotional well-being.
