When you are angry, how do you go about calming down and letting go of your rage? A study in Japan has shown that writing down feelings of anger on paper and then tearing it up or throwing it away can almost completely dissipate the fiery emotions. This method is easy to do and quickly effective.
In this study, researchers at Nagoya University in Japan conducted two experiments involving 98 participants. They found that when participants wrote down negative emotions such as anger on paper, and then either shredded or discarded the paper, it helped reduce their rage. However, holding onto the paper did not produce the same effect.
Professor Nobuyuki Kawai, from the cognitive science department at the university, stated, “We expected our method to somewhat suppress anger, but what surprised us was that the anger almost entirely disappeared.”
Kawai and his colleagues asked the participants to write an article related to social issues without informing them of the study’s purpose. Regardless of the quality of their articles, they were deliberately criticized harshly and received insulting feedback such as, “I can’t believe an educated person would think like this. I hope this person reads more books in college.”
Subsequently, the participants were asked to write down how they felt upon receiving the feedback. All of them expressed that the feedback increased their level of anger.
The researchers then instructed all participants to reread the feedback and asked some to either leave the paper on the table, while others were told to shred or throw it away. Through self-assessment questionnaires, the participants indicated the level of anger they were experiencing at that moment.
The results showed that those who shredded or discarded the paper saw a decrease in anger levels compared to before reading the feedback, while those who held onto the paper remained enraged, with only a slight decrease in anger.
While anger can sometimes be helpful in prompting people to address social injustices, it can also lead to violence, abuse, or decision-making errors. The effectiveness of this anger-reducing method lies in its simplicity and quick results.
Kawai mentioned that this method could help business professionals reduce anger in high-pressure situations. Simply jot down feelings of anger like writing a note and then dispose of it.
The researchers emphasized the importance of controlling anger in the workplace or at home to mitigate negative consequences in work and personal life. Other methods to suppress anger provided by experts lack empirical research support and are difficult to recall in moments of anger.
This study stemmed from years of research on the relationship between handwriting and anger reduction. It confirms that interaction between individuals and objects can regulate emotions.
The researchers noted that the traditional ritual held during the annual festival at the Nichi Shrine in Kiyosu City, Aichi Prefecture, Japan, where people smash small plates symbolizing anger, may explain why participants feel relieved after participating in such ceremonies.
The findings of this study have been published this month in the journal “Scientific Reports.”
Additionally, a previous study from Ohio State University in the United States showed that simply venting emotions does not truly reduce anger. Engaging in activities that decrease arousal levels, such as deep breathing, meditation, or yoga, is more effective in dispelling anger, while activities that increase arousal levels, like jogging, can escalate anger.
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