A recent study has shown that venting anger is not the best solution and, in some cases, may actually increase it rather than alleviate it. The results suggest that calming techniques, such as yoga, deep breathing, and progressive relaxation, are more effective in managing anger compared to activities that heighten physiological arousal, like running or smashing objects.
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Researchers from Ohio State University analyzed 154 studies on anger and found little evidence that venting helps. In some cases, it may even escalate anger.
Lead author Brad Bushman said, "I think it's really important to debunk the myth that if you're angry, you should vent, meaning you should get things off your chest."
He added, "Venting may seem like a good idea, but there is no scientific evidence to support the catharsis theory."
However, this does not mean anger should be ignored.
Meditation can help understand the cause of anger and address underlying issues.
It can also help with emotional regulation, an important first step toward processing emotions healthily. However, venting often goes beyond meditation and turns into excessive rumination.
The study indicates that many people also try to expel anger through physical effort, which may provide health benefits but does not necessarily alleviate mood in the moment.
The studies reviewed included 10,189 participants, representing a wide variety of ages, genders, cultures, and ethnicities.
The results show that the key to reducing anger is to lower physiological arousal, whether from the anger itself or from the physical activity that might trigger it.
Bushman stated, "To reduce anger, it's better to engage in activities that reduce arousal levels."
He added, "Despite what popular wisdom might suggest, even running is not an effective strategy because it increases arousal levels and ultimately becomes unproductive."
This study was inspired by the idea of "anger rooms," where people pay to smash things in hopes of venting their anger, according to researcher Sophie Kervick, a communication scientist at Virginia Commonwealth University.
She explained, "I wanted to completely debunk the theory that expressing anger is a way of dealing with it. We wanted to show that reducing arousal, and indeed its physiological aspects, is extremely important."
According to Kervick and Bushman, previous research often focused on the cognitive side, such as how cognitive-behavioral therapy helps people modify the mental meanings that fuel their anger.
Research has shown that this can be effective, but the review also highlights an alternative pathway for anger reduction.
Most importantly, standard cognitive-behavioral treatments are not effective for all types of individuals.
The study found that calming activities reduced anger, as well as other variables such as teaching methods or participant demographics.
Effective activities to reduce arousal included slow yoga, mindfulness, progressive muscle relaxation, diaphragmatic breathing, and taking breaks.
Instead of trying to vent anger, researchers recommend reducing it by lowering arousal levels.
Calming tactics that have been proven to reduce stress may also remove the physiological fuel from anger.
The study found that most activities that enhance arousal did not reduce anger, and some even increased it, with running being the most likely to increase anger.
Team sports and other physical activities involving play showed they reduced physiological arousal, suggesting that physical effort may be more beneficial in reducing anger if it is enjoyable.
These findings require further research for clarification, but for now, the researchers say that calming techniques, even simply taking a break or counting to 10, are the best options for cooling down anger.
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