Had you ever been so angry with someone that you just couldn't let it go? What if I told you there was a simple, scientific way to eliminate that anger, or most of it, with just a piece of paper? Let me tell you about this fascinating study. Participants were asked to write an essay on a social issue, like public smoking. After they finished, they received harsh insulting feedback from a supposed expert, along with this comment. I cannot believe that an educated person would think like this. I hope this person learned something while at university. Burn. Naturally, they felt pretty angry. Then the researchers asked them to write down their thoughts and feelings about the feedback, but that no one would get to see that paper, so they should make it really authentic. But here's the twist. Half of them were told to keep their written thoughts in a folder on their desk. But the other half, in the first study, they were told to crumple up the paper and throw it away. And in the second one, they were told to put it in a shredder on their desk. And guess what happened? Turns out, those who physically got rid of that paper either in the here, dropping back down to almost starting level, whereas those who held onto the papers stayed pretty mad. It's like externalizing it and then letting go of that externalization, let them actually let go of what they were hanging onto internally. What do you think? Would you give it a try? Let me know in the comments.
Additional notes
Replying to @Patchwit🐾🌈💜 break rooms can be a lot of fun, but i wouldnt turn them as an actual therapeutic strategy! ❓What are your 1. Top “little” things that make you furious? 2. Favorite way to manage said anger? NOTE: best to NOT try this exact method at home! Stick to the “toss in garbage” or “shredder” option. 📚 STUDY – DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-57916-z #science #mentalhealth @WHO Fides #MentalHealth #MentalHealthMatters #MentalHealthAwareness #WHOFides #angermanagement #anger
References
- Anger is eliminated with the disposal of a paper written because of provocation. DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-57916-z. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-57916-z