Coping Skill of the Week: Releasing Resentment

A practice for when your boundaries, needs, or energy have been quietly breached. Resentment is a slow-burn emotion. It accumulates over time, when you say yes too often, when you give without receiving, when you tolerate more than you should because you’re trying to keep the peace. But eventually, that burn starts to scorch you.

This practice isn’t about forgiving too soon or bypassing the truth. It’s about creating space in your body and nervous system to process the emotion so you can see your needs more clearlyand reclaim your energy.

When to Use It

When you feel simmering irritation that won’t go away, after an interaction where you silenced yourself, when you’re emotionally dysregulated and can’t name why, do this...

The Practice

Pause and Name It

Say (out loud if possible): “This is resentment. Something inside me needs attention.”

Naming the emotion activates your reasoning brain and starts calming the reactive system.

Write the Unspeakable

Set a 5-minute timer and free-write exactly what you’re feeling. Be raw. Be honest. No editing. You’re not being mean you’re metabolizing emotion.

Find the suppressed need and look at what you wrote and ask:

What did I need that I didn’t name or protect?

What boundary was crossed or ignored?

What am I craving that I’m afraid to ask for?

Move the Energy

Shake your hands, stomp your feet, stretch your chest open, or do a Hero’s Embrace. Resentment is a stuck emotion your body needs to know you’re not trapped.

Choose One Small Repair

That might mean setting a boundary, making a request, or simply stating the truth to yourself: “I matter here too.” Releasing resentment isn’t about letting others off the hook. It’s about putting yourself back on the list