WRITING down your feelings on paper and throwing it away can help get rid of anger “almost entirely”, a study shows.
The simple trick reduces rage after being insulted, Japanese researchers found.
It could help control your feelings and be used at work to prevent arguments with co-workers, they said.
Dr Nobuyuki Kawai, of Nagoya University, said: “We expected that our method would suppress anger to some extent.
“However, we were amazed that anger was eliminated almost entirely.
“This technique could be applied in the moment by writing down the source of anger as if taking a memo and then throwing it away when one feels angry in a business situation.”
Around one in five people have experienced anger problems or have difficulty controlling anger, according to Gitnux.
Nearly a quarter of Brits cited anger as a significant cause of workplace stress.
Uncontrolled anger can lead to a range of physical and mental health problems, including increasing your risk of stroke.
The NHS recommends talking to a GP who can refer you to a local anger-management programme or counselling if you need help dealing with anger.
The study, published in Scientific Reports, looked at techniques which can be used to help manage the emotion.
Researchers recruited 57 university students and measured their anger levels before and after being insulted by asking them how angry, bothered, annoyed, hostile, and irritated on a six-point scale.
They were then asked to write down their feelings on a piece of paper, before being split into three groups.
One shredded the paper, another binned it and the third did not dispose of it.
People from all three groups saw anger levels drop significantly after writing down their emotions.
However, the groups that disposed of the paper afterwards saw their levels drop even more.
Dr Kawai said: “The subjective anger for the disposal group decreased as low as the baseline period, while that of the retention group was still higher than that in the baseline period in both experiments.
“We propose this method as a powerful and simple way to eliminate anger.”
The do’s and don’t of dealing with anger, according to the NHS
Do:
- try to recognise when you start to feel angry so you can take steps to calm down as early as possible
- give yourself time to think before reacting – try counting to 10 and doing calming breathing exercises
- talk to people about what’s making you angry – speak to someone who is not connected to the situation, such as a friend, a GP or a support group such as Samaritans
- exercise – activities such as running, walking, swimming and yoga can help you relax and reduce stress
- find out how to raise your self-esteem, including how to be more assertive
- consider peer support, where people use their experiences to help others. Find out more about peer support on the Mind website
- listen to free mental wellbeing audio guides
- try self-help cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) techniques on the Every Mind Matters website to manage unhelpful thoughts, reframe situations, solve problems and deal with stress
Don’t:
- do not try to do everything at once; set small targets you can easily achieve
- do not focus on things you cannot change. Focus your time and energy on helping yourself feel better
- try not to tell yourself that you’re alone – most people feel angry sometimes and support is available
- try not to use alcohol, cigarettes, gambling or drugs to relieve anger – these can all contribute to poor mental health
Source: The NHS