What do you do when you’re upset? Some people like to vent. They may yell to get their anger out. Other people think punching a pillow makes them feel better. New research shows that these actions don’t actually help. It says there are better ways to stress less.
Sophie Kjaervik and Brad Bushman led the research for this report. They analyzed 154 studies that involved more than 10,000 . The people came from more than 20 countries, including Brazil, Canada, India, and the United States. And the experts said the results were the same for people of all ages across the world. For Mental Health Awareness Month (in May), they shared their discoveries with News-O-Matic.
“Angry people want to hit, kick, swear, or scream,” said Bushman. “But that doesn’t work,” explained the expert from Ohio State University. “People say they feel better after,” he added. “But that good feeling just makes it more likely they will do it again.” Bushman said venting is “not an way to get rid of anger.” In fact, he called it “the worst thing you can do.”
Kjaervik explained how they did their study. “We collected research on the relationship between anger and activities,” she said. “We looked at the effect of activities that increase your heart rate and your anger — and activities that decrease your heart rate and calm down your anger,” added Kjaervik. Then the experts “ the effects.”
Activities that helped people relax included breathing, yoga, and . “We were surprised to find that all activities that calm down your body are effective 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 to help. “People should focus on calming down their breathing,” she said. “This can be done by simply lying down and breathing slowly and deeply. Imagine your angry thoughts floating away on a cloud.” She said that “should make you less angry.”
“Your brain is in charge of managing your emotions,” Bushman explained. “And your brain gets fuel from the food you eat,” he said. The expert said “healthy food like whole grains and veggies” are better fuels. And he shared a final tip.
“To manage your anger, make sure you’re not hangry,” said Bushman. “So, make sure you’ve had something to eat!”
Updated May 1, 2024, 5:02 P.M. (ET)
By Russell Kahn (Russ)
