The impact of complaining on your health

We all complain regularly — to our family, friends, colleagues and sometimes even strangers. But what we don't always realize is that the way we complain can have a major impact on our health and well-being.

Lots of complaining, little result

Today people complain about all kinds of things. About the weather, work, people, the government and so on. With today's high pressure of going on and on, there is plenty of reasons to grumble.

In certain situations, voicing a complaint can be helpful and effective. For example, consider contacting a company's customer service department when there is something wrong with a product. Then complaining (hopefully) leads to a resolution of the unwanted situation.

In most cases, however, grumbling is not productive. We do it hoping to get rid of our frustration, dissatisfaction or irritation. Complaning is a commonly used method to reduce our negative feelings in the short term. Therefore, moaning is frequently done to gain affirmation or empathy from the listener.

The desired result, a favorable change in the situation or an improvement in feelings, is not always achieved. Expressing the complaint may provide relief for a while, but your emotions don't improve in the long run. Because although it is nice when someone understands and validates your feelings, every time you tell your story you relive your frustration.

We also often complain to persons who cannot fix the problem or about a situation that can't be changed. For example, if you complain about the weather or you complain about something that happened at work with to a family member. The circumstances that frustrate you then do not change by complaining.

Impact of complaining on your health

The combination of reliving the complaint and the helplessness, which you experience if the situation does not change, have a negative impact. Of course, you don't really notice this if you complain once in a while, but we are often unaware of how frequently we complain. The more often we experience this negativity, the more the frustration and helplessness accumulate and affect our mood, self-esteem and even our general mental well-being.

For those who are having a habit of complaining and pessimism, it may even affect physical health. The stress hormone cortisol will be higher in those individuals. This increases the risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes and obesity, among others. Optimists tend to live healthier and longer, according to scientific research.

The heart of the problem

There are many examples in the Bible of people complaining and also what consequences this has. For example, just read Numbers 14:26-29. The people of Israel make a long journey through the desert to the promised land. Along the way, they murmur again and again. Each time they express their frustration when they see the difficult circumstances. It becomes a bad habit of theirs eventually resulting in their failure to enter the Promised Land.

At its core, complaining reveals a lack of trust in the loving God who has your best interests at heart.

At its core, the complaining of the Israelites in the desert reveals a lack of trust in God and submission to His will for their lives. This is also at the basis of our grumbling today: rebellion against God, who in His love has our best interests at heart.

Solution

Are you allowing God to work for you by trusting Him or are you missing His provision by complaining? Do you want to complain less? The Bible calls you to this. “Do all things without murmurings and disputings: That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world” Philippians 2:14-15. And in 1 Peter 4:9: “Use hospitality one to another without grudging.”

If grumbling is a habit for you, it can be difficult (but achievable!) to change it. Involve people around you to break this habit. They can help you in becoming aware of the moments when you complain or help to turn the conversation into a positive one.

Another Biblical advice is to focus on gratitude. Instead of speaking negatively, it advises, “...but rather giving of thanks.” Ephesians 5:3-4. Emphasize positive things. Express your gratitude, always, even in difficult circumstances. Examine what you can influence and change for the better. Look at what is going well, what blessings you have received. Tell how God has helped you. Put your trust in God. This will help you feel less helpless and improve your relationship with God.