Usually when someone is venting at me, I feel like I should respond somehow and say something, but I have no idea what that something could/should be. Is it better to just listen or try to comfort them in some way?
Usually when someone is venting at me, I feel like I should respond somehow and say something, but I have no idea what that something could/should be. Is it better to just listen or try to comfort them in some way?
I find that it’s best to speak minimally. Let them speak, that’s why they’re venting. If you do speak, you should avoid inserting your own opinions or your experiences, because that could come off as derailing the conversation or changing the subject. If you do speak, it should be to encourage them to continue speaking their mind.
Once they get it all out of their system, I think that’s the point when you can really start to offer your thoughts and respond to what they said