Difficulty: Challenger (Level 2)
When you next see red, don’t scream into a pillow – writing down your feelings, then shredding or throwing them away, is an effective way to calm down, a Japanese study has found.
In a study published earlier this month, about 100 students shared their thoughts on social problems such as smoking bans. They were told that a university expert would judge their writing.
No matter what they wrote, they all got low scores and rude comments about their work.
The students then wrote down their feelings about the comments. Half of them shredded the paper or threw it away, while the other half put it in a clear folder or a transparent box.
The study said all of them “showed anger” after being insulted. But while the anger level of those who put the papers in a folder or box remained high, those who threw them away felt much less angry. In fact, their rage almost completely disappeared.
Based on these results, the study’s researchers argued that their findings could be used to help someone calm down when they are feeling angry (see graphic).
“Controlling anger … can reduce negative consequences in our lives,” they said.
