Finding a healthy way to job vent isn’t always easy. You have to be careful what you say to coworkers and you don’t want anyone to overhear you. Keeping the stress in is dangerous and toxic to your health. You have several options for effective venting to make you feel better and make work far more tolerable.
How Not To Job Vent
The two worst ways to job vent are publicly at your job and on social media. Facebook is not the place for a work rant. Your employer could see it and the next day you’re fired. This isn’t helpful for your work related stress. A good rule to remember is to never rant publicly where others can easily overhear or see what’s on your mind.
Meet With a Friend to Complain About Work
Find a close friend you trust. This also works well with a spouse. For best results, try not to do this with a coworker unless you trust them completely. The great thing about close friends is you can vent to them when you need to. Call your friend, tell them you’ve had a horrible day and plan to meet up somewhere.
Don’t just tell them about your day. Get emotional. Yell about what bothers you. Pace around if possible. The more you give in to the rant, the better you’ll feel. When you’re done, your friend can give you feedback or just follow up with their own venting session.
Write Down Your Work Grievances
Grab a notebook or use any word processor. Think of it as your private journal. This is one of the healthiest ways to job vent when no one else is around. Avoid using online services as someone might be able to hack your account and see what you’ve written. Use portable offline sources instead.
Spend up to 10 minutes every day venting through the written word. Write down everything you feel, why it bothers you and what you think you could do about it. Getting it on paper helps give you relief and perspective. Whatever you use, don’t keep it at work. If you need to write at work, make sure no one sees it. Store your rants on a USB drive or keep your physical notebook in a locked cabinet and take it home every day.
Get Physical to Reduce Work Stress
Sometimes words aren’t enough for you to eliminate the stress. Consider joining a gym. Exercise is a highly effective way to rant without a single word. Imagine how much better you would feel to take out your frustrations on a punching bag or forget work exists completely through a relaxing yoga session.
Exercise is a work rant that uses your entire body. Work out at home or join classes at your local gym. Find something that makes you feel better. Everyone has their own favorites. Many do yoga, boxing, running, weight lifting or swimming. Exercise regularly to cut down on work stress completely.
Speak With HR
Many job vents are best left for outside the office. Depending on the situation, the only way to deal with the stress in a healthy way is to eliminate the source of the problem. Schedule a meeting with human resources. Calmly explain what is going on. HR can help you work through any issues you’re having and speak with other coworkers to help prevent future problems.
If possible, talk to your boss as well. If the stress is because you have too much work on you, your boss might be able to help.
See a Professional to Job Vent
If work stress is a constant problem and it’s affecting your health, make an appointment with a therapist. Their office is the perfect place to vent freely without any repercussions. A therapist encourages you to rant as much as you want. They’ll also walk you through ways to better deal with situations at work and find healthy ways to manage your stress.
You can see a therapist just when you need to. You can also see one regularly. It is up to you and no one ever has to know.
Get Away During the Day to Stay Calm at Work
The longer you have to keep your work rant in, the more stressed you become. Try to get away for lunch or during a break. Talk to yourself while you’re in your car. Most people will think you’re singing to the radio. Rant and rave as much as you want. By the time you get back to work, you’ll feel better. Less stress makes it easier to finish the day.
Lose Yourself in a Hobby to Forget Work Problems
No matter how much you vent to someone, sometimes the stress is still there. The only way to effectively rant and get rid of the stress completely is to lose yourself in a hobby. Find something you enjoy such as gardening, knitting, painting or anything else. Do your hobby somewhere private and rant while you work. No is listening, but you feel better as you get out your stress and replace it with the joy you feel while immersed in your hobby.
Join a Group to Job Vent
Many communities have groups for those who need a safe and healthy way to job vent. These groups are a great place to rant and meet others who need to rant just as much as you. The benefit of these groups is you meet like-minded people. Your words never leave the group. It’s like an AA group for work rants. If you’re not comfortable in your own area, find a group in a nearby city to avoid seeing anyone you might know.
Whatever Your Do…Get It Out
No matter what method you use to vent, make sure you do something to get it out. Holding back can increase your chance for heart attacks and other physical problems. Try at least one of these today and you’ll likely feel better. Pick several of these options to rant on a regular basis for less work stress. Or, if you’ve reached the point of no return, learn how to quit your job the right way.
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