Smashing things could be fun, but is it helpful?
You feel your heart racing. You’re making a fist and gripping it. Your skin is as red as a beet. Do you ever want to destroy something when you become outraged? Rage rooms (sometimes called anger rooms or smash rooms) now allow you to. You may let off anger by throwing dishes, breaking laptops, and damaging furniture at these locations for a fee.
Using a sledgehammer to destroy a television after a long day at the office (or a nasty disagreement with your spouse) may seem attractive, but rage chambers may not be the best method to deal with your frustration.
Is it healthy to let out your frustrations?
Finding a healthy outlet for your frustration is something everyone should strive towards.
Clinical psychologist Scott Bea, PsyD, states, “Repressed anger produces all sorts of problems.” Both physical and mental problems, such as anxiety, may be exacerbated by this. How we deal with frustration is crucial.
Unfortunately, we don’t always have a good handle on channeling our rage in positive ways.
People often grow upset due to the way our society is structured. Dr. Bea asserts that despite this, “We haven’t taught people how to express anger in healthy ways, what anger is all about, or how it can sometimes be useful.”
Rage or fury rooms are one method to release anger, but he thinks they probably won’t help in the long term.
He says, “On such instances, I feel there is a release of pent-up emotion, but I think it’s probably fleeting. Those are presumably the times when pent-up emotion is released. Although breaking items will temporarily improve your mood, it won’t help you resolve your anger problems in the long run.
Anger rooms—dangerous?
Rage rooms provide temporary advantages and may be harmful to specific users.
Anger rooms may seem like a good option for those who have major anger issues and have acted violently or destructively. Dr. Bea warns that a “rage room” will likely encourage destructive coping mechanisms.
Instead, he contends that “the much greater challenge is to learn more suitable ways of noticing and expressing anger.” People must embrace accountability for their behaviors and adopt alternate coping skills.
Temporarily, anger may be released via rage chambers or other physical outlets. However, they don’t aid in developing healthy anger management skills or address the root causes of anger.
Forbidden fun? Indulge or not?
Should you avoid going into rage rooms? Dr. Bea says it’s not always the case.
He adds that I don’t see its therapeutic value, but it’s all right if you want to have fun with it.
It’s OK to acknowledge that some individuals like breaking things precisely because they are generally outlawed. Avoid the rage room, however, if you have a significant problem with your temper.
Dr. Bea advises that to feel more in control of your emotions, working with a therapist on relaxation methods, cognitive restructuring (a means of altering your thinking), and communication skills are helpful.
