Venting is about acknowledging when something is bothering us. This is natural and necessary.
When we vent, we give ourselves permission to be real in the moment and express our feelings, thoughts, and views about something bad that happened. It’s healthy to vent for a short period of time.
Dwelling is about telling the story over and over. Whenever someone asks us how we are we talk about the stressful thing that happened. No matter how many other positive things that have occurred we focus on the negative.
As we talk about the negative event, stress hormones start pumping through the body, our mood sours, and our energy gets depleted. It can also be a downer for others.
Mindfulness helps us be in the present moment rather than ruminate about the past. It helps us consciously choose what to focus on and what attitudes we bring into our conversations.
Mindfulness makes it possible to choose what is life affirming in the moment.