Venting;
A Gentle Rethink on How We Share Our Struggles

I recently came across a creator who shared an idea:
"Venting is a false premise."

At first, I'll admit, I was miffed. I mean, isn't venting healthy? Isn't it a release valve for stress, frustration, and all those messy, tangled-up emotions?

But then I sat with it. And you know what? I think he's onto something.

Venting, while it may feel like relief in the moment, can easily become a habit of rehearsing our pain, of keeping our focus stuck in the muck. When we vent, especially when we do it often, or without intention, we're not moving forward. We're circling the drain. We're repeating the same stories, frustrations, and disappointments, often without action or growth.

And I say this with love because…I do it too.

I've caught myself more times than I'd like to admit, talking about the same struggles over and over again; financial worries, life situations I can't change just yet, frustrations that linger. There's a comfort in it, a familiarity. But lately, I've started to ask:
What am I rehearsing? What am I reinforcing?

There's a difference between processing pain and replaying it.

Maybe venting does have a place, in a therapist's office, in a sacred space where we're held and supported. But in everyday conversation, what would happen if instead of venting, we shifted our focus?

What if, when we were tempted to rehash the hard stuff, we gently asked ourselves:

What's going well right now?

What am I doing to make things better?

What am I learning in this moment?

How can I speak hope into this situation even if I'm still in the thick of it?

That's not toxic positivity. That's intentional living. That's choosing to create your present and build your future, instead of looping the past or sitting in stuckness.

I'm not saying don't share your heart. I'm not saying don't be real. But maybe there's a different way to be real, one that's rooted in hope, in growth, in resilience.

Here's what I'm practicing now:
✨ Sharing what I am doing to move forward.
✨ Naming my challenges without marinating in them.
✨ Speaking more about what I want to create than what I want to escape.
✨ Letting gratitude interrupt the cycle of complaint.

Because every word we speak is a brick we lay down on the path we're walking. And I want mine to lead somewhere good.

So maybe the question isn't "Should I vent?"
Maybe it's "What am I feeding with my words?"

Let's keep it real. Let's keep it hopeful. Let's build something beautiful.

What do you think?
Have you ever found yourself stuck in a venting loop?
What's helped you shift out of it?

💬 Share your thoughts in the comments on IG/Facebook or message me directly. I'd love to hear how you're building a life that reflects your strength and your hope.

With love and resilience,
Lizzie 🩷