Running, taking a few deep breaths, or even screaming into a pillow are proven strategies for dealing with anger.
But the best thing you can do, according to new research, is write your response on a piece of paper and then throw it away.
In fact, the method is so effective that feelings of anger are “almost completely” eliminated, scientists discovered.
The team from Nagoya University in Japan recruited participants who were asked to write a short opinion piece on important social issues.
They were told that their writing would be evaluated. However, no matter what they wrote, they all received insulting and negative feedback and scored low on intelligence, interest, logic and rationality.
After receiving these negative comments, participants were asked to write their thoughts on a piece of paper.
The best way to deal with anger is to write your response on a piece of paper and throw it away, scientists say (Stock Image)
The method is so effective that feelings of anger are ‘almost completely’ eliminated, research shows (Stock Image)
One group was told to throw the paper in the trash or keep it in a folder on their desk. A second group was told to put the document in a shredder or in a clear plastic box.
Analysis found that while everyone reported higher levels of anger after receiving the offensive comments, participants who threw away or tore up their written thoughts quickly returned to their original state of calm.
Meanwhile, participants who held a paper copy of the insult experienced only a small decrease in their overall anger.
Lead researcher Nobuyuki Kawai said: ‘We expected our method to suppress anger to some extent.
“However, we were surprised that the anger was almost completely eliminated.”
The findings, published in the journal Scientific Reports, build on previous work showing how interactions with physical objects can control a person’s mood.
The team said their research could help office workers who find themselves in stressful situations.
“This technique could be applied at the time by writing down the source of anger as if you were taking a memo and then throwing it away when someone feels angry in a business situation,” Kawai said.