Venting may not actually be good for reducing anger

Who dares to poke the bear?

The lead author of the research analysis is Sophie Kjærvik, a communication scientist at Virginia Commonwealth University. Kjærvik was first inspired to delve deeper into studies on anger due to the widespread popularity of rage rooms in western countries.

While I personally feel like smashing stuff up when angry seems counterproductive (what are you, a maladjusted 15-year-old boy?), rage rooms are extremely popular among people going through hard times such as break ups, job loss, and the like.

‘I wanted to debunk the whole theory of expressing anger as a way of coping with it,’ explains Kjærvik. ‘We wanted to show that reducing arousal, and actually the physiological aspect of it, is really important.’

As with all emotions, research on anger acknowledges it as having two key components – the physiological (body response) and the cognitive component (mental processing). The problem is, Kjærvik says, that the vast majority of studies have focused on the cognitive angle.

As a result, cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) has become a common suggestion for those looking to better manage their emotions. And while CBT can be useful for people looking to identify and cope with anger specifically, this method won’t always work for all brain types – especially those that feel the physiological impacts of anger more acutely.

‘It’s really a battle because angry people want to vent, but our research shows that any good feeling we get from venting actually reinforces aggression,’ says communication scientist and senior author of the study Brad Bushman. ‘Venting anger might sound like a good idea, but there’s not a shred of scientific evidence to support catharsis theory.’

So, what kind of outlets work best for people who are partial to a heated rant amongst friends or a visit to the local rage room?

Slow down and breathe

To understand how to best help the body cope with anger, the study looked at the impact of both arousal-increasing and arousal-reducing activities. These included boxing, cycling, and jogging, as well as deep breathing, meditating, and yoga.

What they found was that calming activities reduced anger in both the lab and the field, regardless of variables like methods of instruction or participant demographics.

Arousal-reducing activities such as slow-flow yoga, mindfulness, progressive muscle relaxation, diaphragmatic breathing, and taking a timeout proved to be just as effective as mindfulness and meditation.

The research also found that arousal-boosting activities (like boxing and jogging) were far less effective at reducing anger. In fact, jogging was most likely to increase anger, perhaps due to its solitary and repetitive nature.

In some cases, ball sports and other physical activities that involve play reduced physiological arousal related to anger, suggesting that exerting energy might be useful – but only if you’re having fun while doing it.

Reclaiming your zen

Life is full of little stresses and annoyances that can build up into general feelings of anger, but there are healthy ways to deal with this inevitability.

Calming tactics promoted for their ability to reduce stress can also rob anger of its physiological fuel – the stuff that makes your body go hot, your blood pressure rise, and your palms start to sweat.

So next time you feel anger rising up, you might want to hold off on venting to your homies or smashing plates at your local rage room. Even a few seconds of meditative breathing, a yoga session, or a friendly game of football with friends will probably take the edge off more effectively.

That said, I wouldn’t be surprised if my colleagues argued that a midday rant provides far more entertainment value.

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