Talking is so helpful to help us with stress, low mood and anxiety.  It’s an effective coping mechanism that helps us regulate our emotions in so many ways such as –

• Processing our thoughts and feelings.  Speaking slows our thoughts down, gives us clarity and helps organise our thoughts in our minds allowing us to be able to think clearer.  A significant reason for this is that is activates the pre-frontal cortex part of the brain which is responsible for rational thought.
• By talking we express how we feel and name our emotions.  This labelling of ‘I’m feeling down, low, anxious, stressed etc’ gives us clarity.
• Validation – When we’re talking we gain the validation from others which helps us to feel reassured.  By speaking, we also engage that rational part of our mind which allows us to feel a sense of self-validation and assurance.
• Expression and release of emotion – As we talk, we express how we’re feeling and this can release pent up emotions.  We feel that release of pressure and tension.

Overall, talking is one of the most natural and effective methods of managing our emotions.  With this knowledge, it’s important to incorporate this into our world and this isn’t always easy.  When we’re talking, especially about sensitive or personal things, it can be hard as we’re having to face this ourselves and face the fear of being jugged negatively by others.  It’s important to have a good support structure of people who are there for us to be able to express ourselves safely with.

Consider the following questions –

• Who’s the person or people you’d talk to if you had a problem? 
• Who would you talk to if you felt stressed? 
• Who gives you validation when you talk to them?

I would invite you in the next 24 hours to experiment with talking a bit more.  To share a little more than you would do normally and to see how that is. 

As always, feel free to leave any comments

Best wishes, Duncan