In recent years, a business model has become popular that proposes its clients pay an amount of money and enter a space where they can throw axes or break things, releasing stress and anger. Are the rage rooms or rooms of anger, present in many countries around the world, Spain included. In the right mood, the idea is tempting, but not the most effective. Sophie L. Kjaervik, a psychologist specializing in aggression and anger and a postdoctoral researcher at Virginia Commonwealth University, had been watching with some helplessness for some time as this type of business only gained popularity. How to prove that the concept is actually harmful? With research.
“By expressing anger you are practicing aggressive behavior. “I wanted to break the myth that it is something effective when it comes to controlling it and showing healthier alternatives,” she explains. To do this, he reviewed 154 studies that explored the effectiveness of different activities in reducing the level of arousal to which anger leads us. The conclusion is clear: venting anger by releasing anger (hitting objects, going for a run, etc.) does not work. It does, however, lower our activation level: breathe deeply, meditate, practice yoga…
For the meta-analysis, which he prepared for his thesis at The Ohio State University and which was published in the journal Clinical Psychological Review Last April, Kjaervik divided the activities proposed to relax into two groups: those that reduce the level of excitement and those that increase it. Seeking to control anger by intervening in that excitement makes sense, since in moments of anger the body is activated in a very specific way. “During an episode of anger, there is an increase in general muscle tone, often accompanied by tension in specific muscle groups, such as those of the forearm and hand to form a fist, the masseter muscles to clench the jaw, or the superciliary muscles to purse the face. frown. Furthermore, breathing tends to become more agitated and frequent,” explains doctor in Psychology Raquel Gómez Leal, professor in the Master’s in Emotional Intelligence at the University of Malaga and member of her research group Laboratory of Emotions. Anger also produces changes in heart rate and the force of contraction of the heart, in addition to the secretion of hormones such as adrenaline, related to the mobilization of energy. There are even changes in the skin, whose conductance increases.
Another effect of anger is that our thinking becomes clouded, adds clinical psychologist Xacobe Abel Fernández García, president of the Psychology and Health Section of the Official College of Psychologists of Galicia (COPG). For this reason, what we most want when anger floods us is usually not to meditate, but to discharge that energy that is ready for the attack. Boxing, breaking objects in an environment like an anger room, or going for a run often seem more appealing. However, the scientific evidence compiled by Kjaervik in his meta-analysis shows that none of those actions serve any purpose. What’s more, going for a run at these times (like climbing stairs) not only does not appease anger, but rather increases it. In the text, Kjaervik and Brad J. Bushman, co-author of the study, speculate that it may be the repetitive effect of running that causes anger to grow.
Why then is it so embedded in the popular imagination that expressing that anger or doing something that exhausts us will reduce it? Sophie Kjaervik explains, referring specifically to the rage rooms, that breaking and hitting objects is something that makes us feel good. However, the effect lasts only a few minutes and is of no use in the long term. Raquel Gómez Leal agrees that “these situations can provide temporary relief, giving a feeling of relief and release of tension.” Furthermore, being “an accepted model of anger management” that we see a lot in movies and television, it is also something that seems effective to us, even if it is only momentarily so.
On the other hand, it is always better to “punch a closet than a person,” says Xacobe Abel Fernández García. It is, of course, not the healthiest or most advisable, but we must also keep in mind that being able to practice the most effective activities, those that truly calm us, is not something that everyone is going to achieve on the first try.
What does work
If when we get angry the body is activated in the way described above, does lowering that activation also reduce anger? The answer is yes. All activities that lowered activation managed to reduce the anger, aggressiveness and hostility of the participants, without differences by sex, age, occupation or culture. These activities range from meditation and mindfulness to breathing exercises, including progressive muscle relaxation. Activities that have a cognitive component (examples include meditation and mindfulness), where, as Kjaervik explains, “you’re not just trying to relax your body, but also your mind,” are even more effective. “In some way, you observe your anger and let it float away on a cloud,” says the researcher, using a classic meditation exercise as an example.
UMA psychologist Raquel Gómez Leal offers another idea. “A good example would be combining deep breathing with cognitive reappraisal. That is, while you breathe deeply (you should practice these techniques a little) you can reevaluate the situation; This technique consists of modifying the way you think in different intense situations,” she argues.
Practicing is important, because someone who has problems managing anger may not be able to simply breathe and control it. “It takes practice and a bit of strategy,” says Xacobe Abel Fernández García, from the COPG. “It is important to know each other and train. If I find myself in arguments and anger, and then I regret it and feel bad because I have said things I shouldn’t have or I have broken closets, I have thrown things, it is important to first analyze why I have become so angry,” he explains. If this is accompanied by exercises that help keep calm, if we learn to reduce this activation, “perhaps it will be a skill that we can also use when anger catches us and starts trying to prevent us from thinking.”
Another interesting finding from the meta-analysis is that not all activities that increase arousal are ineffective in managing anger: ball sports and activities such as aerobics do improve mood. Kjaervik believes it is by introducing the element of play, which generates positive emotions and counteracts anger. “You can’t be happy and angry at the same time, it’s impossible,” he says.
Why control anger
Anger is a natural emotion that we have all experienced and will experience throughout our lives. It can even be useful “in specific situations to mobilize resources and face obstacles,” says Gómez Leal. However, it is important to learn to control it so as not to be at its mercy every time something makes us angry. “Anger can lead to impulsive and aggressive actions that can cause harm to oneself or others, either physically or emotionally,” explains the psychologist. This can result in interpersonal or legal problems.
Beyond that part, which is perhaps the most obvious, Gómez Leal adds that chronic anger is also bad for your health. “Chronic or uncontrolled anger can have negative effects on physical and mental health, such as increased risk of cardiovascular disease, digestive problems, sleep disorders, depression and anxiety,” he explains. Kjaervik insists on the cardiovascular part: “anger is bad for the heart.” There is a lot of study on this; The most recent, published in early May, indicates that even brief episodes of anger reduce the ability of blood vessels to dilate, which is linked to an increased risk of heart attack.
On the other hand, since it is a natural emotion, it is also important to know when we should start worrying and seek help. “Getting angry is normal, getting angry is legitimate. The barrier is to respect the rights of other people, their physical and moral integrity. That is, no blows, no insults, no displays of force (they can be intimidating),” says Fernández García. “When it is something that is repeated, when the people around us start telling us about it, it is a sign that there is a problem. One reason for going to a consultation is also the fear of losing control. “Some people have been in situations where they have been afraid of themselves,” he says.
Instead of hitting something or paying a company to destroy objects in a room intended to express anger, learning to breathe deeply is not only more effective, but also less harmful to your health, the environment, and your wallet.
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