Why ‘Releasing Your Anger’ Could Backfire

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If you’re one of the many citizens whose blood is boiling over what’s happening in the United States right now, you might be wondering what to do with all this red-hot rage. You’ve probably heard that you need to blow off some steam or let that shit out. Go for a rage run. Pay to smash up a bunch of stuff in a rage room. Primal scream into your pillow. Have a good old-fashioned vent sesh with a bestie. Sometimes it truly feels like you need to get it out before you explode like a volcano. But as enticing as the idea of exorcising your anger demons is, it turns out that the catharsis method is not the best approach.

“Breaking things and venting and stuff like that tends to not work very well for anger,” Ryan Martin, PhD, psychologist and professor at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, tells SELF. He would know—he’s the author of Why We Get Mad: How to Use Your Anger for Positive Change and goes by the Anger Professor on social media, so healthy rage is kind of his thing. “So even though it feels good, we try to discourage [it],” Dr. Martin says.

Here’s what experts want you to know about why, contrary to popular belief, “getting it out” doesn’t work so well—and better ways to feel and channel your anger instead.

Why catharsis doesn’t work

Kicking the crap out of a punching bag or unleashing a rant might feel gratifying in the moment. But “we’ve got lots of evidence that that kind of catharsis ends up not only not helping, but hurting in the long run,” Dr. Martin says. Counterintuitively, the things we often do to “get the anger out” actually tend to reinforce our that very emotion. So “people who use that approach tend to stay angry longer,” Dr. Martin says. Studies have found that activities like venting (to another person, in writing or online), going for a run, and thinking about who you’re mad at while hitting a punching bag don’t reduce anger—in fact, sometimes they even make people more mad and/or increase their aggression.

Take physical modes of rage channeling, like an intense workout. It’s true that exercise generally boosts your mood and is good for emotional regulation overall. But doing vigorous exercise in the moment when you’re already feeling enraged can actually keep that feeling alive by prolonging the physiological arousal state of being angry, Dr. Martin explains. (Cortisol pumping through your blood, muscles tensing up, heart rate and breathing elevated.) A 2src24 review of 154 studies with over 1src,srcsrcsrc participants total found that activities like jogging and stair-climbing significantly increase anger.

Then there’s those rage rooms. “Initially it can feel like a release,” Cherise Stewart, LMFT, a marriage and family therapist practicing in the Bay Area and author of several anger workbooks for adults, teens, and children, tells SELF. “But when you’re really feeling angry…that can actually make you more angry.” And over time, “we end up training our brains to associate emotional release with physical aggression,” Stewart explains. So people who rely on these kinds of practices tend to develop a more aggressive, less healthy style of coping with anger, Dr. Martin says.

As for verbal or written catharsis—a.k.a. venting or rage journaling—this tends to feed your angry thoughts and feelings instead of helping you let them go. Venting can fan the flames of anger by encouraging rumination, Stewart explains. That’s where you’re rehashing how pissed off you are and why—chewing on frustrated or vengeful thoughts over and over.

The truth is, sure—the odd primal scream or rage run probably isn’t gonna hurt ya. (And again, might feel so damn good in the moment.) But the goal is to accept, process, and channel your anger instead of ramping it up, Stewart says. On that note…

What to do instead

If unleashing your fury isn’t a thing after all, what does work? It turns out, moving your body, writing or talking about your anger, and channeling your energy can be healthy tools for working with your anger—if used correctly. Here’s what the experts recommend.

1. Instead of rage-running, try gentle movement.

The first step is to regulate your body, Akua K. Boateng, PhD, an individual and couples therapist and founder of Boateng Consulting, tells SELF. “The experience of anger is healthy, but a prolonged state of that hyperarousal is just not good for the body.” It’s also harder to think clearly or take wise action in that state. “We want to calm our bodies and get out of the stress response, so that we can actually do something productive with our anger,” Stewart explains.

So skip the hardcore workout in favor of more low-key forms of movement. Dr. Boateng recommends stretching and foam-rolling (or even massage) to relieve the muscle tightness connected to anger. Dr. Martin likes a short walk in nature. That same review of studies on exercise also found that movement like yoga and playing ball sports significantly decrease anger (along with relaxation strategies, mindfulness, and meditation). Other things to try: grounding exercises, taking a cold shower, EFT tapping, and diaphragmatic breathing. (These are also solid ways to regulate after you lost your cool or couldn’t resist your cathartic moment.)

2. Instead of venting, constructively write or talk about it.

While unchecked ranting isn’t productive, sharing your thoughts and feelings (with your journal or a person) with the intention to process and problem-solve “can be really therapeutic,” Dr. Martin says.

Stewart recommends using journal prompts to explore the roots of your anger (like I am feeling angry because…, What am I afraid of or worried about right now?, or What is this anger teaching me about my values or needs?) or work towards solutions (What do I want to do about this? How do I want to move forward?). Mindful journaling can also help you recognize distorted thought patterns, Stewart says. When you notice black-and-white thinking or catastrophizing, for example—“Everything is totally fucked!”—ask yourself, How true is that statement? What’s the actual evidence here?

Take a similar approach in conversations with friends. “You have to be intentional about asking yourself, ‘Am I doing this as a way of solving the problem or processing my feelings, or am I just trying to unload?’” Dr. Martin says. If you feel like you just have to get something off your chest, give yourself a cutoff, like a minute or two, to prevent too much ruminating. You can even ask your friend to set a timer and hold you to it.

Another underrated form of healthy rage expression that beats venting? Getting creative. Paint, write poetry, make music. (For a simple art therapy session, Stewart recommends choosing a color that represents your anger and drawing or painting with it.) This lets you channel your emotions into what you’re creating, Dr. Boateng says.

3. Instead of “getting your anger out,” channel it into meaningful action.

“Anger alerts you to injustice,” Dr. Martin says. “It also energizes you to confront that injustice.” In other words, your anger is wise—and it’s fuel you can use. Taking small steps to help right the wrong that’s triggering your anger “is a healthy way to address the root of that feeling, versus just sitting with the injustice and letting yourself stew with it,” Stewart explains. (Or screaming expletives or hurling axes into the void.)

Your actions won’t solve the problem, but they will help you reclaim some agency—instead of resigning to the helplessness or hopelessness that can often accompany anger at political or societal forces, Dr. Martin says. “Doing the little things that you can do—or maybe the big things—can be empowering, because it [restores] some balance and makes things feel a little bit more right.”

As for which actions to take, think about what’s in your control and look to your anger for guidance. Dr. Boateng recommends asking yourself, What is my anger telling me about what matters to me? What action is my anger asking me to take?

If you feel voiceless, for example, maybe you’ll want to vocalize your anger at a protest, write or call your representatives, start a Substack, or pen a fiery letter to the editor. If you’re indignant on behalf of vulnerable communities being harmed, like trans people or immigrants, then give your time or money to support them. If you feel powerless, join a local organization advocating for a cause you care about, or donate a dollar every time you get super pissed. “Think about, what are the things I can do?” Dr. Martin says. “And lean into those things, no matter how small.”