Here's the best way to calm your anger, proven by science

If you have an optimistic temperament, you may have learned to live with outbursts of anger that are sometimes very intense and difficult to control. To calm them down, there are two schools: isolate yourself and prefer calm, or de-stress to release “a lot” of emotions.

To determine which of the two methods was more effective, the researchers conducted an experiment by analyzing 154 studies that included more than 10,000 participants. They distinguished between two types of activities: those that reduce activation (such as deep breathing, mindfulness, and meditation) and those that increase it (hitting a punching bag, jogging, or cycling).

No, you don't have to “de-stress”!

Most athletes among you will likely be disappointed by the results of the study, which has just been published in the journal Clinical Psychology Review – It showed that activities aimed at reducing reactivation were, by far, the most effective, whatever the gender, race, age or culture of the participants, and whatever their status: students and non-students, delinquent and non-delinquent, with and without intellectual disabilities. In addition, these activities were effective regardless of how they were delivered (platforms DigitalDigitalresearchers and therapists) in individual or group sessions, in the field or in the laboratory.

On the contraryActivities aimed at increasing activation were generally ineffective and the results did not show a clear trend that these activities were beneficial for anger management.

Conclusion: In the event of a crisis or outburst of anger, put away your running shoes and boxing gloves, and return to breathing exercises that can be easily found on free platforms such as YoutubeYoutubeand take a quiet moment that allows you to focus on something else: doing gentle craft activities like cooking, knitting, or a reading session.