Another myth is dispelled: venting not only would not reduce anger as we thought, but could actually increase it.

Not even letting off steam will help us anymore. It makes you wonder why continue. Because it seems that what we do when we are angry, as popular wisdom suggests, can help us calm down, It doesn’t really help as much as we thought.

At least this is what emerges from a new study conducted by researchers at Ohio State University and published in Clinical Psychology Review, which concludes like this “they found little evidence” dand letting off steam helps.

Scientists have even said that, in some cases, it would not only not help, but at all It might even increase anger.

The study consisted of a meta-analytic review of 154 studies on anger. “I think it’s really important put an end to the myth that if you’re angry you should vent,” said the study’s lead author, Brad Bushman, a professor of mass communications at Ohio University.

“Venting your anger may seem like a good idea, but there is not even the slightest scientific proofto support the catharsis theory,” added the psychologist who has published widely on the causes and consequences of human aggression.

“That doesn’t mean we should ignore anger. “Reflection can help us understand why we get angry and address underlying issues,” she said, adding that it can also help with emotional validation, an important first step toward healthy emotion processing.

However, “venting often goes beyond reflection and ends in rumination.” Study suggests that many people also try to exorcise anger with exercise, which may offer health benefits does not improve mood at the moment.

The studies examined by this new research included a total of 10,189 participants, who represents a variety of ages, genders, cultures and ethnicities.

The findings show that the key to curbing anger is reduce physiological arousalsay the authors, resulting from anger itself or from the beneficial physical activity it might inspire.

“To reduce anger, it is best to do activities that reduce arousal levels” says Bushman. “Despite what conventional wisdom may suggest, going for a run is also not an effective strategy because it increases arousal levels and ends up being counterproductive.”

Debunking “anger rooms”

The research was inspired in part by the popularity of “rage rooms,” where people pay to break things in hopes of releasing anger, said Sophie Kjærvik, a scientist at Virginia Commonwealth University who also participated in the study.

“He wanted debunk the whole theory of anger expression as a way of dealing with the situation,” Kjærvik said, and continued, “We wanted to show that reducing arousal, and actually the physiological aspect of it, is really important.”

According to Kjærvik and Bushman, previous research has often been concentrated on a cognitive levelsuch as examining how cognitive behavioral therapy can help people adapt the mental meanings that underlie their anger.

Research shows it can work, they said, but the review also sheds important light on an alternative way to calm anger. It’s more, Standard cognitive behavioral therapies are not effective for all brain types.

Effective activities to reduce anger

The study examined activities that increase and reduce arousalfrom boxing, cycling and jogging, to deep breathing, meditation and yoga.

They found that the effective activities to reduce arousal They are: slow flow yoga, mindfulness, progressive muscle relaxation, diaphragmatic breathing and “taking a breather”.

“It was really interesting to see that progressive muscle relaxation and general relaxation could be as effective as approaches like mindfulness and meditation,” Kjærvik said. “And yoga, which can be more exciting than meditation and mindfulness, yesIt’s still a way to calm down and focus on breathing which has a similar effect in reducing anger.

Instead of trying to vent anger, the researchers advise weaken it by lowering the temperature. Tried-and-true calming tactics for stress relief can also rob anger of its physiological fuel.

“Obviously, in today’s society we all face a lot of stress and also we need ways to cope“, said Kjærvik. “It is useful to demonstrate that the same strategies that work for stress also work for anger.”

The review found that most activities that increasing arousal did not reduce angerand some have increased it, jogging being the most likely method of achieving this effect.

Ball sports and other physical activities involving play appeared to reduce physiological arousal, suggesting such exertion It might be more helpful in reducing anger if it’s fun.

“Some physical activities that increase arousal may be good for the heart, but they definitely do “They’re not the best way to reduce anger.”Bushman said.

“It’s really a struggle because angry people want to vent, but our research shows that any good feelings we get from venting it actually reinforces aggression“He added.

More research is needed to clarify these findings, but for now researchers say techniques for calming down (including simply taking a break or counting to 10) offer the best options to control anger.

“You don’t need to make an appointment with a cognitive behavioral therapist to deal with anger. Pyou can download a free app on your phone or you can look up a video on YouTube if you need directions,” Kjærvik concluded.

Source: Scientific Notice