I think it is safe to assume that everyone has problems and issues and face challenges no matter who they are and how happy they may seem. Every single person out there is struggling with something whatever it may be. Each one of us is going through life through different eyes and has worries that maybe no one else knows about. So is complaining good?
Personally, I have been and currently struggling with several problems, and I face many issues and challenges on a daily basis. Don’t we all? Anyways, so what do I do? Yes, I do complain, I complain to either my husband, to one of my family members or to one of my closest friends. Depending on the severity of the issue, I might complain and discuss these unhappy matters with maybe two or three of those people, but is that enough? In my opinion, that is more than enough. I tell myself that I only need to complain once or twice to release that frustration, but that’s it. As I grew up and realised how everyone is struggling in different ways, I chose to not allow myself to over-complain because I noticed the negative changes on my mind and body as well as others. Think about it, imagine your brain continuously hearing yourself talk negatively, why keep repeating and why keep re-triggering your frustrations?
Human beings have become used to complaining and it seems to be a wide spread trend these days. I hear so many people complaining, even about the smallest of things that they will probably forget about in a few minutes. This happens either because we got our minds accustomed to venting and letting out our emotions through complaints or maybe when we hear others complain, we feel inclined to join in on the party. Regardless of the reasons why we complain, we need to be aware of ourselves and what complaining does to our mental and physical health. In a nutshell, when we start complaining, our bodies react. Yes, we need to vent and let out our frustrations, but to a certain point and not let it get to the point where it hurts our health. As we complain, our bodies release the stress hormone cortisol. The more we complain, the more cortisol is released, and the more released, the more our minds and bodies get used to it. This negatively affects our immune system, our hormonal balance and our mental health. I’m not asking you to stop complaining, I am only asking you to reduce the amount of complaining you do and to stop imposing it on others.
Look at it another way… Think of the people you are complaining to. Every individual has their own personal limit to hearing complaints and sure, that’s what family and friends are for, or even therapists and coaches, but have you ever thought about their struggles? We rarely stop and think about others when we complain. The people we complain to might be struggling with more serious issues or may have heard enough complaints from others for the day. Have you ever started complaining to an entire group of people or complained to a friend but everyone around can also hear you? What about those people around that you aren’t necessarily complaining to but can hear all your complaining? Why are they forced to listen to your complaints? Remember how the hormone cortisol increases in your body as you complain, the same happens to those who hear complaints too.
Now that we have made the link between complaining and its negative effects on both our mental and physical health, I really hope that you think twice about over-complaining and focus on your overall health and wellness rather than your anger.
The author is a wellness advocate and influencer @keys2balance.
Reem Abdulrahman Jassim al-Muftah
