For some people, yelling or breaking things is the best way to get rid of anger. However, scientists at Ohio State University suggest there are other, more beneficial techniques.
THE go It is a natural emotional state in humans. But when it happens too frequently or at very intense levels, it can seriously impair your well-being and relationships with those around you.
This emotion is generally closely linked to an activation of the body, which prepares to defend itself against what it considers to be an attack.
Heart rate and blood pressure suddenly increase, muscles contract, and certain hormone levels also increase, leading to aggressive reactions toward others.
When this happens, yelling, breaking, and hitting things seem to be the best options for managing anger, as do letting steam escape from a pressure cooker.
However, researchers from Ohio State University (USA) suggest that this is not the case. In a recent meta-analysis who was looking for the most effective method to reduce anger levels, describes this in reality The solution is not in relief, but in activities that reduce physiological arousal, such as yoga. .
“I wanted to debunk the whole theory that expressing anger is a way to manage it,” said Sophie Kjærvik, lead author of the study. study slogan Scientific alert . “We wanted to show that reducing arousal, and actually the physiological aspect of it, is really important.” he added.
Why speaking out doesn’t help reduce anger
The authors, who published their findings in the journal Clinical Psychology Review, point out that because anger can trigger a range of negative health effects, it is considered “an emotion that needs to be tightly regulated.”
However, because many people don’t know how to soothe it, there is “a great need to identify effective strategies,” they explain.
To conduct their research, the Ohio State University team analyzed 154 studies including more than 10,000 participants of different ages, genders and cultures. Furthermore, they were based on the Schachter-Singer two-factor theory which guarantees that emotions have two sides: one physiological and the other cognitive. Currently, most studies focus on the cognitive domain.
“Expressing anger may seem like a good idea, but there isn’t a shred of scientific evidence to support the theory of catharsis. » argued one of the study’s authors, Brad J. Bushman. One of its main findings actually highlights that venting is not an effective practice for reducing anger.
As they describe, expressing yourself aggressively in an attempt to reduce anger could have a counterproductive effect, as it would only increase its intensity and make it last longer.
Is running effective in calming anger?
The Ohio State University study also addresses the fact that many people choose to exercise, such as run to forget the anger once and for all.
Although it could be very beneficial for heart health the authors point out that this activity is not effective in dealing with this emotion, because it also leads to a increased levels of physiological arousal .
“Anger is an emotion associated with high physiological arousal. This means your heart rate increases, your blood pressure is elevated, and your breathing rate increases. If you do activities that have the same effects on your body, you fuel anger,” Kjærvik said.
The most effective methods to calm anger
The results of Kjærvik and Bushman’s meta-analysis suggest that the most favorable anger management strategies were Activities that help reduce physiological arousal, that is, are calming.
Some of them are the yoga, meditation, mindfulness, muscle relaxation and breathing exercises.
“It is beneficial to show that the same strategies that work for stress also work for anger,” Kjærvik said.
Although further studies are needed to strengthen these findings, the team led by Kjærvik assures that calming techniques, which may even include count to 10 can be most helpful in keeping our anger under control.
Source: Latercera
I’m Rose Brown , a journalist and writer with over 10 years of experience in the news industry. I specialize in covering tennis-related news for Athletistic, a leading sports media website. My writing is highly regarded for its quick turnaround and accuracy, as well as my ability to tell compelling stories about the sport.
