What Is Emotional Ventilation In Psychology And Techniques To Apply It
Society tends to educate us so that from a young age we repress emotions. In fact, we are often taught that expressing our deepest emotional states is a sign of weakness and vulnerability. The result is an accumulation of stagnant emotions that can be harmful, since they generate stress and anxiety. In any case, human emotions are part of our life and we must learn to manage them to keep our physical and mental health in balance.
In this Psychology-online article you will discover what is emotional ventilation in psychology and techniques to apply it. Learn strategies that will allow you to fully open up to your emotions. Keep in mind that there are no good or bad emotions, but rather they are innate states that help you adapt to different circumstances in life.
The APA Dictionary of Psychology(1) defines emotional ventilation as a strategy that allows you to fully express feelings and emotions Furthermore, emotions leave a somatic shock in the body that will depend on the intensity of the experience.
Therefore, emotional ventilation is a technique used in psychology to help people express their emotions Its main objective is to reduce the effects of stress, anxiety and other mental health problems, focusing on some physical and mental processes to increase acceptance and positive affirmations.
Now, there are different emotional ventilation techniques and they all have their uses, although some may be more effective than others depending on the circumstances. Next, let’s look at some exercises that will be very useful to apply emotional ventilation.
Identify your emotions
You need to take time to explore your interior with the purpose of identifying clearly and precisely what you feel, since only in this way will you achieve your true well-being. Follow these steps to achieve it:
Ask yourself what you feel or what happens to you.
Identify the sensation you are experiencing.
You can give it a distinctive name that will help you reach it more quickly. A technical name is not necessary, but rather an emotional identifier. For example, if you are sad you can call that emotion “a little shadow”, just to cite an example.
Give yourself permission to feel
Another emotional ventilation technique is accept that you have the right to feel and to experience different emotions. In fact, it is something natural and an important part of life. Therefore, embrace your feelings so that you can move towards the path of inner balance by healing your “inner self.”
Also, don’t force yourself or judge yourself too harshly. Take one step at a time and when you least expect it you will feel much better. If you want to evaluate your level of personal demand, we recommend taking this test to find out if you are too demanding of yourself.
Seek support through active listening
When you need to vent, active listening will be good for you to drain and bring out stagnant emotions, since it is essential to feel heard. For this, it is also important know very well who to lean on to avoid value judgments that limit your expression.
A very effective technique to identify if someone is really listening to us is called “TO USUALLY DO ”. This is the English acronym used in behavioral psychology to analyze or convey active listening. Its development is simple and works as follows:
Yes (squarely) : It refers to the position of the person listening to us. This must look at both our faces and our bodies.
EITHER (open) : It is the open posture with open arms.
l (leaning) : refers to a slight inclination towards the person who is actively listening.
AND (eyes) : refers to eye contact while listening.
R (relaxed) : it is the relaxation of the listener so as not to fall into an exaggerated emotional picture.
It is important that whoever listens to you changes focus, but only to let you know that they are paying attention to your story. If you identify that the person listening to you only wants to judge you or give you their own opinion, it is best to stop the ventilation and wait for another person who really wants to listen to you without so many questions.
Find a way out
Emotional ventilation is simply finding that outlet for the emotions you want to ignore. If you are one of those who does not express or open up easily to others, you can use other ventilation mechanisms such as, for example, practice any sport Or you can even start with some artistic manifestation that relaxes you and lets out all that you feel.
Likewise, if you apply some relaxation and meditation techniques, such as mindlessness or yoga, you will obtain wonderful benefits for your physical and mental health. Another technique for emotional ventilation is write in a diary everything you carry inside. This will serve as a catharsis to get to know yourself better and to learn to assertively manage your own emotions.
Thank yourself and be kinder to yourself
Every experience, every experience and every day is an opportunity to learn that It will enrich your perception of situations and adversities In this sense, be grateful for what you feel and even the cause that unleashed that emotion.
Likewise, don’t be so harsh with self-criticism, since you are not the first person who may feel confused by their emotional states. The good news is that emotional venting is a very effective strategy for your future learning.
This article is merely informative, at PsychologyFor we do not have the power to make a diagnosis or recommend a treatment. We invite you to go to a psychologist to treat your particular case.
If you want to read more articles similar to What is emotional ventilation in psychology and techniques to apply it we recommend that you enter our Emotions category.
References
APA Dictionary of Psychology. (2021). https://dictionary.apa.org/ventilation
Bibliography
Lazarus, R.S. (2000). Stress and emotion. Management and implications on our health. Bilbao: Desclée de Brouwer. https://www.edesclee.com/img/cms/pdfs/9788433015235.pdf
