What do you do when you’re upset? Some people vent. They may yell to get their anger out. Other people prefer to punch a pillow. New research says that doesn’t help. It says there are better ways to stress less.
Sophie Kjaervik and Brad Bushman led the research. They analyzed 154 studies using 10,000 people. The experts spoke with News-O-Matic for Mental Health Awareness Month. (That’s in May.)
“Angry people want to hit, kick, or scream,” said Bushman. “But that doesn’t work,” explained the expert. “People say they feel better after,” he added. “But that good feeling just makes it more likely they will do it again.” Bushman called venting “the worst way” to feel better.
Kjaervik explained how they did their work. “We collected research on anger and activities,” she said. They looked at the effect of activities that increase your heart rate and your anger. And they studied activities that decrease your heart rate and your anger. Then the experts the effects.
Activities that helped people relax included breathing and yoga. “We were surprised to find that all activities that calm down your body are at reducing anger,” said Kjaervik. Yet some activities are better. For example, jogging made people angrier. But ball sports (like soccer) made people less angry.
Kjaervik gave advice. “People should calm down their breathing,” she said. “This can be done by lying down and breathing slowly. Imagine angry thoughts floating away on a cloud.” She said that “should make you less angry.”
“Your brain manages your emotions,” Bushman explained. “And your brain gets fuel from food,” he said. The expert called healthy food like veggies better fuels. So, he shared a tip.
“Make sure you’ve had something to eat!”
Updated May 1, 2024, 5:01 P.M. (ET)
By Russell Kahn (Russ)
