Doesn’t help to be assertive when angry

New research from Ohio State University shows that aggression in the form of yelling or breaking things does not help to calm nerves.

– The study shows that expressing anger is not an effective way to manage one’s emotions, but that activities that reduce physical arousal, i.e. the body’s activation system, are effective ways to reduce anger, says Sophie Kjærvik, PhD student at Ohio State University.

A myth that you should break things

David Waskuri, a psychologist, has previously seen a number of studies that show that it is a myth that one should get rid of anger by, for example, going to a boxing class.

– It is good that there is a large meta-study like this that confirms it, says David Waskuri.

The meta-study consists of a compilation of 154 different studies that have been conducted. But if the study shows the opposite, why has it been thought that it helps to go out into the woods and scream?

– You get a nice feeling in the moment and then it’s easy to believe that it’s good, but when you look at it long-term, you notice that it actually doesn’t help. So there are myths that have not been researched before, says Waskuri.

Like pouring gasoline on the fire

Taking deep and calm breaths should instead help with the anger, because it triggers the calm parasympathetic system in the body. Doing something active like throwing a plate at the wall has the opposite effect.

– It will be like pouring petrol on the fire. Because if you’re already triggered, your sympathetic nervous system kicks in, and then you do one thing that triggers it even more. Then you won’t get rid of it, but you have to break with an activity that is the opposite and calms you down.

The survey shows that, at group level, you do not get rid of your anger by jogging, for example, but you started to knead more, which resulted in greater anger.

Another common response to anger is to start crying, which David Waskuri says often comes down to what emotions you grew up expressing and how comfortable you are with showing anger.

– People usually talk about anger as a secondary emotion, that it can come as a second emotion and that there are other things underneath. Some people may not be so comfortable showing anger and find it easier to cry, he says.

That’s what you do to calm anger

How then should one handle one’s anger in the best way? David Waskuri believes that you should find calming activities and that even power naps can help.

– Exhale slowly and take deep breaths. We know that it triggers our parasympathetic calm and relaxation system. Meditation is also very good. Then you count your breaths, you don’t knead but do a calm activity.

Even yoga, listening to classical music or reading a book can have a calming effect.

– In psychology, we talk a lot about healthy and assertiveness. It’s that anger has a function, but what you want to get away from is this destructive anger when you throw things or scream. But just setting boundaries and speaking out is something good, says David Waskuri.

He believes that it is also not good to become a doormat, unable to feel anger and just push it down.