Handling Change: Talk About Problems More Than Feelings

We can “work through” our anger, fears, and frustrations by talking about them a lot is a common myth.

In fact, actively and repeatedly broadcasting negative emotions hinders our natural adaptation processes.

That’s not to say you ignore your troubles. Instead, call out your anxiety or your anger at the outset of a disorienting change so that you are aware of how it might distort your thinking or disrupt your relationships.

Then look for practical advice about what to do next. You’ll zero in on the problems that you can solve, instead of lamenting the ones you can’t.