Venting anger might seem like a natural response, but a recent study reveals a surprising truth: it's not as effective as we think. The common belief that expressing anger helps to quell it is a misconception, according to a 2024 meta-analytic review. The research, conducted by Ohio State University, analyzed 154 studies on anger and found little evidence to support the idea that venting helps. In some cases, it could even increase anger levels.
"I think it's really important to bust the myth that if you're angry you should blow off steam – get it off your chest," said senior author and communication scientist Brad Bushman when the results were published. "Venting anger might sound like a good idea, but there's not a shred of scientific evidence to support catharsis theory."
So, what does work? The study suggests that reflection can help us understand why we get mad and address underlying problems. It can also aid emotional validation, an important first step towards healthily processing emotions. However, venting often goes beyond reflection into rumination, which may not lighten the mood in the moment.
The research also highlights the importance of reducing physiological arousal to curb anger. Activities that decrease arousal levels, such as slow-flow yoga, mindfulness, progressive muscle relaxation, diaphragmatic breathing, and taking a timeout, have been found to be effective in reducing anger in both lab and field settings.
"To reduce anger, it is better to engage in activities that decrease arousal levels," Bushman said. "Despite what popular wisdom may suggest, even going for a run is not an effective strategy because it increases arousal levels and ends up being counterproductive."
The study was inspired partly by the popularity of 'rage rooms', where people pay to smash objects in hopes of releasing anger. However, the research shows that reducing arousal, rather than expressing anger, is the key to managing it effectively.
"I wanted to debunk the whole theory of expressing anger as a way of coping with it," explained first author Sophie Kjærvik, a communication scientist at Virginia Commonwealth University. "We wanted to show that reducing arousal, and actually the physiological aspect of it, is really important."
The study examined both arousal-increasing and arousal-reducing activities, and found that calming activities reduced anger in the lab and the field, across various variables such as methods of instruction or participant demographics. Effective arousal-reducing activities included slow-flow yoga, mindfulness, progressive muscle relaxation, diaphragmatic breathing, and taking a timeout.
"It was really interesting to see that progressive muscle relaxation and just relaxation in general might be as effective as approaches such as mindfulness and meditation," Kjærvik said. "And yoga, which can be more arousing than meditation and mindfulness, is still a way of calming and focusing on your breath that has a similar effect in reducing anger."
So, the next time you feel angry, instead of venting, try a calming technique. It might just help you manage your anger more effectively.
