Early in my career, I spent a lot of time venting. I'd get worked up over something my boss, client, or colleague did. I feared confronting would only make it worse, but I also worried that holding it in would eventually me to explode later on. So instead, I'd blow off a little steam by venting to a trusted co-worker or friend. If I could just release a little pressure, I’d get over it and move on, right? Maybe not. New evidence shows that venting doesn’t make things better, and it can even make things worse.

According to University of Arkansas psychologist Jeffrey M. Lohr, research has consistently shown that venting anger is at best ineffective and in some cases is even harmful. Lohr and his colleagues reviewed the research on anger expression going back as far as the 1950’s to identify the efficacy of venting as an anger management strategy.

"In study after study, the conclusion was the same: Expressing anger does not reduce aggressive tendencies and likely makes it worse," Lohr and colleagues wrote in "The Pseudopsychology of Venting in the Treatment of Anger: Implications and Alternatives for Mental Health Practice," which appeared as a chapter in Anger, Aggression, and Interventions for Interpersonal Violence, edited by Timothy A. Cavell and Kenya T. Malcolm of the University of Arkansas.

Aristotle advocated catharsis or emotional release from negative feelings and Sigmund Freud theorized that repressed emotions could build up and cause psychological symptoms. Lohr notes that some companies “now have anger web pages and ‘rap sessions’ that allow employees to vent anger and blow off steam.” However, the notion of catharsis has not held up under scientific examination.

“Research has shown that people often vent because they expect it will improve their mood…Perhaps because venting temporarily decreases arousal, people often report that it makes them feel better inside,” Lohr and his colleagues wrote. “However, this emotional improvement is short-lived and it does not translate into less aggression. At best, venting may make you feel better for a short time, but that comes from enjoying the angry actions rather than from any meaningful reduction in angry feelings or aggressive tendencies. At worst, venting fosters the illusion that it is healthy to express one’s anger.” In other words, because Ben & Jerry’s tastes good, you want more, but that doesn’t mean it it’s good for you.

"If venting really does get anger 'out of your system,' then venting should result in a reduction of both anger and aggression. Unfortunately for catharsis theory, the results showed precisely the opposite effect," Lohr and colleagues wrote.

So if letting out the anger doesn't help to make it go away, what's the alternative?

In contrast to the venting experiments, other studies Lohr and his colleagues reviewed have shown that anger dissipates faster when people take deep breaths, relax or take a time out. "What people fail to realize is that the anger would have dissipated had they not vented. Moreover, it would have dissipated more quickly had they not vented and tried to control their anger instead." Any action that "makes it impossible to sustain the angry state" can help defuse anger. Here are some ways that may help you let go of your anger:

1. Take some deep breaths.
   
2. Count to 10.
   
3. Listen to some good music.
   
4. Intentionally get into a good mood.
   
5. Think about something you are grateful for.
   
6. Call a friend or your kids to say hi.
   
7. Take a time out.
   
8. Stretch, walk or move around.
   
9. Re-frame the situation to put it into a different perspective.
   
10. Acknowledge that you have control over how you respond and react, and that feeling good simply feels better than being angry.
    

Few of us mean to be malicious when we vent. We definitely don’t do it so we can feel more angry and frustrated. We just want to get over it and move on. But with a deeper understanding of how we process our anger, we can find more effective ways of enhancing our work and enriching our lives.

Want to use this article in your e-newsletter or website? You can use this material in whole or in part, as long as you include this complete attribution and live link: Productivity consultant and trainer Cristin Lind of Clearwater Productivity helps busy professionals enhance their work and enrich their lives. If you’re ready to get more done with less effort, visit www.clearwaterproductivity.com.