By Niamh Casey
Complaining is something everyone is guilty of. Complaints can be about anything, from the trivial things to larger problems, but is it too much? Is complaining overdone and have people lost sight of things to be grateful of? Many would think so.
Complaining and being able to have a ‘rant’ to your friend is an essential part of friendship. It shows that you trust someone enough to be able to confide in them. However, there is a stage when it becomes too much. If all someone does is complain when you see them, then meeting with them can become tiresome. There is a point where complaining becomes the only element to a conversation, and that is when it becomes a problem. It’s a golden rule is that too much of anything is bad for you and complaining is no exception.
However, one might argue that everyone has a right to express their feelings, which is also true. Complaining is an excellent outlet. It helps to halve and possibly even solve the problem, simply by voicing your concerns to someone. Even if the sole reason of venting to a friend is to receive validation rather than a solution, many would still agree that they felt better after. Shared complaints often bring people closer and help people to connect. It really is staggering once you think about how much of people’s lives can revolve heavily around this one form of expression. Is this bad?
It shows how easy it is to forget to be happy about the positive aspects of life and just focus on the negatives. Realising this fact would really make one believe that people do complain too much. Researchers have proved that complaining and listening to someone complain negatively affects both people’s moods. This is really no surprise, especially when there is no real solution to the complaint. The true extent of the impact complaining has on a person’s mental health is really an important question many researchers are working on. Especially since most people, including myself, would seem to complain more than they should. Most people would likely admit that.
The key to complaining is balance. By not letting venting and complaints become the only conversations you have with people, the positives in life may become easier to see. Complaining is a part of life, and that is not necessarily a bad thing, but it needs to be rationed. Mindfulness and meditation can be a great place to start and may be an alternative way of dealing with built up worries. The root of complaints is often a result of a stressful life. Dealing with stress in a more efficient way may be the solution to a complaint-free life! But sometimes, many would agree, there is no cure like a vent to a friend.