What’s the Simple Trick That Can Eliminate Anger, According to Scientists

There go It is an emotional state that most have experienced several times during their lives.

Getting out can be a complex challenge, especially when there has been provocation or insult from another person. However, recent research suggests a simple and effective formula for calming down when this happens: write what we think on paper and throw it in the trash.

The study, carried out by scientists from Nagoya University (Japan) and published in the journal Scientific reports , sought to explore how the use of physical elements can help neutralize anger.

For this reason, experts wanted to focus on the method of writing on paper and then throwing it away.

Around fifty students participated in the procedure. After being asked to write an essay on social issues, a doctoral student was tasked with revising them: He rated them with low ratings and left nasty comments for each of them.

“I can’t believe an educated person would think like that. I hope this person learns something at university,” was the comment received by the students.

Then they were asked to write down their emotions and reactions to what happened on a piece of paper. Once they finished, they had a few seconds to silently reread their defense.

While one group had to put the paper in a transparent folder, another was able to crumple it up like a ball and throw it in the trash. At the end of this stage, all participants answered a questionnaire about their emotions and were informed of the procedure.

After analyzing the results, the team of scientists found that those who threw away the paper with their emotions managed to return to their initial state, that is, without anger. Meanwhile, the group that kept the diary showed only a slight decrease in anger.

“We expected our method to suppress anger to some extent,” said Nobuyuki Kawai, a cognitive scientist at Nagoya University and lead author of the research.

“However, we were surprised to find that anger was almost completely eliminated,” he added.

Following the results, the Japanese researchers suggest that the method could be useful in reducing this emotion in everyday situations and even in behavioral therapies.