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Life Guide U.S. essentials
English

When angry, don't vent by smashing things, hitting a punching bag or running a lap; slow your body down first

  • Moderate value
  • Evidence A
  • Saves time
  • Free
  • Takes minutes
  • Some willpower

In plain words

Venting methods that rev the body up, such as hitting a punching bag, throwing things or going for a run, do not take away anger overall. Methods that calm the body, such as slow breathing, mindfulness and meditation, clearly lower anger and the urge to lash out.

Cost

Free. In the heat of anger, do something for a few minutes that slows your heart: breathe slowly, sit down, be still. The hard part is that what you most want to do at that moment is vent.

What you get

Pooling 154 studies (a meta-analysis), with 184 samples and 10,189 people. Methods that calm the body, such as deep breathing, mindfulness and meditation, reduced anger and aggression. The effect size was g = -0.63, 95% CI -0.82 to -0.43 (the plausible range). This result was stable across people of different sexes, races, ages and cultures. Methods that rev the body up, such as hitting a punching bag, jogging and cycling, did not work overall. The effect size was g = -0.02, 95% CI -0.13 to 0.09. The authors concluded that venting anger or going for a run are not effective ways to calm down.

Notes

It measured anger and aggression, not energy. Recording the benefit as time is the author's classification: one less fight means one less mess to clean up. For methods you can use on the spot, see §22.8 (the cyclic sigh), and also §3.17 (when angry, walk away first). Running is not useless. Over the long term it helps with low mood; see §22.6 (if you feel bad, go for a walk or a run). It is just not suited to calming down on the spot. Don't drive, send messages or make decisions in the heat of anger. If someone is hitting you, first get away and call the police. What needs dealing with then is not your emotions; see §8.43 (if you are being abused at home).

Evidence grade
A : Specific numbers from meta-analyses, large cohorts or randomized trials; for law and policy, the statute or official text.
Sources
  1. Kjærvik SL, Bushman BJ (2024). A meta-analytic review of anger management activities that increase or decrease arousal: What fuels or douses rage? Clinical Psychology Review. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2024.102414

Translated from the Chinese original. Original book, section 3, tip 23. Content may be out of date and rules differ by place. When you actually deal with an agency, a doctor or a court, follow what local officials, doctors and lawyers tell you. Disclaimer