All of us complain! The act of sharing frustrations can help us connect with others and even help us cope. Interestingly, complaints have different functions, some of which result in positive outcomes, while others negatively impact our emotional health. Once these different elements are understood, it is possible to harness the useful aspects of sharing our woes and avoid the co-ruminating that engages us in drama and may bring us down.
Dear Guy: “My friends and I bond by complaining, but it’s getting me down”
Dear Guy: By starting to examine my own life in the context of the thoughts that rise and fall in my mind, I’ve found complaining to be a large part of the way I relate. So I tried a little experiment of listening for complaining.
