Why venting your anger with yelling and hitting doesn’t really help reduce anger

You get angry, your blood boils, your whole body tenses and you feel like destroying what surrounds you, while you shout several of those words that you were taught not to say..

And that’s when you don’t feel like you can take on any person or thing that comes your way.

Swallowing all that can’t be good… right?

Better to get it out of you… cathartic… useful, even.

How to let steam out of a pressure cooker.

“There is a common myth that venting anger is a productive way to deal with it,” Dr Sophie Kjærvik, the lead author of a meta-analysis of 154 studies on anger with more than 10,000 participants, told BBC Reel*.

The work, he said in an interview with Ohio State News, was inspired in part by the growing popularity of rage rooms that promote breaking things (such as glass, dishes and electronics) to overcome feelings of rage.

“Expressing anger feels good in the moment, but in the long run it makes you angrier and more aggressive“he assured the BBC.

Both Kjærvik and co-author Brad J. Bushman, both of The Ohio State University, United States, have extensively researched the causes and consequences of human aggression.

As they point out in this meta-analysis, “because anger can have numerous negative consequences, generally It is considered a problem and an emotion that must be regulated“.

On a personal level, it causes discomfort, so we want to get rid of it, but we do not always have efficient techniques to control these moods.

“Therefore, there is a great need to identify effective strategies to reduce and manage anger,” say the authors, who recently published their findings in the journal Clinical Psychology Review.

And the most notable was the one that dismantled the myth that exploding is good.

“I think it’s really important to dispel the myth that if you’re angry you should vent,” Bushman said in an interview with Ohio State News.

“Venting anger may seem like a good idea, but There is not even the slightest scientific evidence to support the theory of catharsis“.

What’s more, they found that venting anger aggressively to relieve it is often counterproductive, since it only intensifies and prolongs it.

The verdict was then clear: it is not a convenient step toward healthy emotion processing.

And, taking into account that, as the study says, that is “an unpleasant emotion that most people want to get rid of” and that “of all the unpleasant emotions, it is also the most difficult to regulate,” Finding the best way to deal with it is essential.

Many people, the meta-analysis also points out, try to exorcise anger with physical exercises.

But it turns out that some, although they may offer health benefits, do not improve but rather worsen the mood at the time.

Citing experts, the authors note that “anger makes people feel stronger and more willing to fight or attack the cause of the anger.”

And that “anger awakens and preserves a high level of energy, rapidly increases motor mobility and directs blood to the muscles to prepare the body for action.”

It sounds like Maybe it’s a good idea to hit a punching bag or go jogging or running.to throw away all that negative energy, right?

There’s actually very little evidence that putting on boxing gloves or going for a run works.

In fact, can even make things worse.

What happens, Kjærvi explained, is that “anger is an emotion that is associated with high physiological arousal.”

“That means your heart rate increases, your blood pressure is high, your breathing rate speeds up.

“If you do activities that have those same effects on your body, you are fueling anger.

“You’re adding fuel to the fire”said the psychologist, now a postdoctoral fellow at Virginia Commonwealth University.

So, despite what conventional wisdom may suggest, boxing or running is not an effective strategy, because it increases arousal levels and ends up being counterproductive.

Simply put, calming techniques are best.

Anything that reduces physiological arousal is worth trying, from meditation, mindfulness and yoga to simply taking a moment to breathe or counting to 10.

On the other hand, not all physical exercise has the same effect.

“Not all forms of physical activity are bad when it comes to anger,” Kjærvi said.

“According to our meta-analysis, ball sports and physical education classes are really good for reducing anger.

“We think that’s because they introduce an aspect of the game, which induces positive emotions, such as happiness and joy.

“There’s also a social aspect, as you interact with other people, and maybe even get positive feedback from your coach,” he said.

In contrast, “we think that jogging has a negative effect because it is more monotonous, it is more boring for many people.

“Because it’s a repetitive movement, you have time to ruminate on your anger and think about it more.

“That might make you even angrier.”

The findings were remarkably consistent across all countries studied, across their different cultures, genders, races, even among people who were incarcerated or released.

Essentially, venting anger as a way to deal with it is more likely to irritate you rather than calm you down.

So it doesn’t seem like the best strategy, no matter how tempting it may be..

* Much of this article is based on the video Feeling angry? Venting doesn’t actually help from BBC Reel. If you want to see it, Click here.

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