Structured venting. If you find it helpful to talk to co-workers or friends about what’s winding you up, ask them to hold back on giving advice until you’ve articulated what you’re feeling and what’s causing that feeling. It’s not hard to do this informally by simply saying: “Can I just get this off my chest?” With a close friend, you might be even more explicit: “I don’t need you to solve anything just yet. I just need you to nod and say, ‘How terrible.’ ”
