We have all been told the same thing about anger: let it out. Punch a pillow, go for a hard run, call a friend and rant until the steam is gone. The idea is so familiar it barely sounds like advice anymore. It just sounds true. But when researchers at Ohio State University pulled together more than 150 studies on what actually reduces anger, they found that blowing off steam does very little, and can make things worse. What works is almost the opposite.
The review that tested the “pressure cooker” theory
The idea that anger builds up like steam and needs releasing is old, and it is everywhere. To test it properly, Sophie Kjærvik and Brad Bushman of Ohio State University reviewed 154 studies involving 10,189 participants of different ages, genders, cultures and backgrounds. Their analysis, published in Clinical Psychology Review in 2024, compared two families of activities: those that raise physical arousal, such as hitting a bag, jogging, cycling or swimming, and those that lower it, such as deep breathing, mindfulness, meditation and yoga.
What they found
The arousal-boosting activities, the ones we usually reach for to “get it out,” mostly did nothing to reduce anger. Some made it worse, with jogging the most likely to do so. “I think it’s really important to bust the myth that if you’re angry you should blow off steam, get it off your chest,” Bushman said. He was blunter still about why venting backfires: “Angry people want to vent, but our research shows that any good feeling we get from venting actually reinforces aggression.”
The calming activities, by contrast, consistently reduced both anger and aggression. And they worked across the board: for students and non-students, in labs and in real life, whether practiced alone, in a group or with a therapist, and whether learned in person or from an app.
The “something else”: turning down the heat
The key, the researchers concluded, is physiological arousal. Anger is not only a thought; it is a body state, with a racing heart, fast breathing and tense muscles. Anything that keeps that state going keeps the anger going. “To reduce anger, it is better to engage in activities that decrease arousal levels,” Bushman said. That is why slow, deep breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, a few minutes of mindfulness or gentle yoga work where a sprint or a shouting match does not.
There was one interesting exception. Physical activities that involved play, such as ball sports, seemed to lower arousal rather than raise it, which suggests that exercise may help with anger when it is fun rather than punishing. As ScienceAlert noted, the problem with venting is also that it so easily turns into rumination: going over the grievance again and again, which keeps it alive.
How to use it next time
When you feel anger rising, the most effective move is the least dramatic one. Slow your breathing: in through the nose for four counts, out for six, for a minute or two. Unclench your jaw and drop your shoulders. Step outside for a short, unhurried walk rather than a run. Put off the difficult conversation until your heart rate has come down. None of this requires a therapist; as Kjærvik put it, you can download a free app or find a guided video if you need help getting started. And if you are the friend on the receiving end of a rant, listening calmly may help more than egging it on.
It is the same principle behind so much of what researchers keep finding about well-being, from gentle exercise for better sleep to the conversations that actually make us happier: what calms the body tends to calm the mind.
The takeaway
Letting it all out feels good in the moment, but across more than 150 studies it did little to reduce anger and sometimes fed it. What reliably worked was the opposite: activities that slow the heart and breath, such as deep breathing, mindfulness, meditation and yoga. The next time you feel the urge to explode, try exhaling instead.
