Why Putting Feelings into Words Calms You Down

Many times, when children are beginning to lose their emotional control, parents urge them to put their feelings into words. This technique works like a charm, and researchers have wondered why for a long time. A new study finally sheds some light on this interesting phenomenon.

In a series of experiments conducted by researchers at the University of California in Los Angeles (UCLA), verbalizing a current emotional experience helped test subjects manage their spider phobia.

The benefit is expressed in terms of boosting your ability to cope, experts say. Even when faced with a negative emotion, vocalizing it can help you become more aware of the issue and, therefore, manage it better.

In the case of phobias, this behavior allows people to be more willing to address their fears. In the UCLA studies, for example, individuals who vocalized their fear of spiders were more likely to approach the insect, PsychCentral reports.