Talking Through Frustrations

Last night, I went on a tirade about frustrations that I didn’t even know I had. A casual conversation about “everyday” issues such as job promotions, politics, and family morphed into a soapbox speech on the outdated social constructs and inconsiderate personal probing.

At one point, someone asked, “who set you off today?” And the answer was no one. There were so many individual little things bothering me, that I exploded at the sheer mention of common plights I would typically ignore.

We internalize so many thing day to day that at some part we exploded without anticipating it. But for once I did not retreat back inside. I decided what was best for me was to let it out everything. I rambled until I didn’t have anything else to complain about. And then I was done. I didn’t want to talk about those things anymore.

Without realizing it, I got to the bottom of why I was so hostile about most topics I was talking about. I didn’t know before I started sharing, but I kept asking myself why and answering it vocally at the moment.

I’m happy I did that, I feel better today than I did yesterday. Yesterday I didn’t know so much was bothering me to the point that my energy just felt more substantial than usual.

It helped that I was:

1. In a safe space. I trusted those around me and was familiar with my surroundings.
2. Intentional. I knew that I was “rambling” to get to the root of my issues because I made the promise to be more conscious and honest in my mental health and wellness journey.
3. Specific. Saying something is annoying is not enough. I was specific about what was annoying, why it was annoying, and how it could be changed.
4. Responsible. I did not blame, or berate. I talked about issues as a general idea and my fault in allowing it to bother me. Everything including how I respond to things is within my control.

By the end of my speech, I felt better and knew I was better prepared to handle the frustrations in my life.