Discoveries

April 01, 2024

Inhale, Exhale

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Some individuals, to blow off steam, go for a run.

Unfortunately, researchers now say that it is counter-productive in dealing with anger, New Atlas reported.

In their study, they addressed a psychoanalytic theory popularized by Sigmund Freud called ‘catharsis,’ which calls for physical and verbal expressions to release emotions such as anger. A modern English equivalent to this Greek word would be ‘venting.’

After analyzing 154 studies involving more than 10,000 participants, the scientists concluded that there was no evidence to claim that venting works.

They followed the two-factor theory of emotion proposed by psychologists Stanley Schachter and Jerome Singer. It states that to experience emotion, a person first reacts physiologically to a stimulus, which their mind then processes and identifies.

According to this theory, stimuli such as smashing plates or hitting a punching bag can worsen anger. And while apparently innocent, running increases anger, too, because it boosts physical arousal.

However, not all physical activities have this outcome. A game of basketball or soccer may have the opposite effect because it features a crucial element of play.

Nonetheless, the study favored a type of solution: It showed that arousal-decreasing activities such as yoga and meditation are efficient ways to reduce anger.

These activities have gained popularity in recent decades as increasingly more people have started to try to alleviate stress.

“Showing that the same strategies that work for stress actually also work for anger is beneficial,” one scientist told New Atlas.

This story originally appeared in the April 01, 2024 newsletter, Warrior Class.