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Let off Steam Before You Implode

While the fix-it-or-forget-it path to inner peace does not include complaining day after day about the same problem, it can include brief venting as a first step. Authentic expression is a good escape valve for energy that has been bottled up.

  • Identify one problem that has your stomach churning right now. Contact a friend (a close friend) and gripe and whine for a few minutes. Just being heard will help.
  • Or, behind closed doors, indulge in a three-minute pity party all by yourself. Punch a pillow, shed a few tears, or rip up some documents that you no longer need
  • Writing can also provide a good escape valve. Put pen to paper, set a timer for three minutes and just write whatever comes into your head. No punctuation. No censoring. Just stream of consciousness. Get it off your chest, so you can act with a clear head! Then, tear up the pages.
Expressing negative energy is like washing a wound before you bandage it. Skip the cleansing and you end up with a festering sore.

More on: Dealing With Stress

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A series of "quick-lifts" excerpted from Recharge in Minutes, ©2003, by Suzanne Zoglio, Ph.D.

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