Fig: to tell something that has been bothering you; to unburden oneself; to finish an unpleasant job

I tried for years to tell my mother-in-law that her meatloaf was disgusting. One day, I found the courage to do it and finally got it off my chest

Per anni ho tentato di dire a mia suocera che il suo polpettone era abominevole. Il giorno che gliel'ho detto, mi sono tolta un peso dallo stomaco

The day I made my last mortgage payment, I experienced one of the greatest feelings of my life, knowing that all my debts were paid off. This really took a huge load off me

Quando ho pagato l'ultima rata del mutuo della casa, ho provato la sensazione più bella della mia vita, sapendo che avevo pagato tutti i debiti. Mi ha veramente tolto un peso dallo stomaco

In the Middle Ages they thought that the heart was the seat of all emotions. So, when someone eased himself of an emotional problem, he believed that he was actually getting it off his chest