An insufferable colleague, an impossible amount of work or problems in your relationship? According to scientific research, it does not help to ‘blow off steam’ by walking or hitting a punching bag. What’s more, this could make you even angrier in the long run. Although the researchers do have a golden tip…
A team of researchers from Ohio State University analyzed 154 studies involving 10,189 participants. The researchers looked specifically at how respondents react when they are angry.
What seems? Activities that increase physical arousal — things that increase your blood pressure or heart rate — can actually fuel more anger. Running miles or fighting off frustrations therefore does not help to channel anger. On the contrary: it increases physical arousal and is ultimately counterproductive. “Every good feeling we get from ventilation increases aggression,” it says. According to the researchers, ball sports are the only exception. Playing a ball game could reduce negative feelings.
They also recommend keeping frustrations to yourself and processing them through meditation, yoga or breathing exercises. These things will calm you down (internally) and reduce physical arousal. “Blowing off steam may sound like a good idea, but there is no scientific evidence to support the theory. Our research shows that the same strategies that work against stress are also effective for tackling anger,” the researchers conclude in Clinical psychology review.
