Next Time You Need to Vent, Don't Try to Outrun It

-


I read a lot of studies in my line of work, and every once in awhile something's published that makes me stand up and take notice. This week it's a piece in Scientific American that looked at more than 150 other studies to conclude that "jogging" and cycling while angry or stressed actually makes you feel worse, not better.

The researchers cite the physiological responses that show elevated, rather than reduced, aggression in people after rigorous or repetitive exercise.  "Some activities people use to manage their anger amp up arousal and increase anger and aggression levels. Jogging, a popular stress-relief activity, actually increased anger in the studies we looked at. The repetitive nature of jogging may induce feelings of monotony and frustration, potentially exacerbating anger rather than alleviating it," researchers wrote.

Reading further, the meta-analysis essentially contradicts what we've long been told: Take out your anger through physical activity, vent that way. "This research helps dispel the myth that it is good to blow off steam and 'let it out' or 'get it off your chest.' Skip screaming into your pillow or pounding on a punching bag. Save your money rather than going to a rage room to break stuff with baseball bats. Such activities are not therepeutic."

So why did we think they were? And what are we to do instead? Breathe deep. Relax your muscles. Meditate. Do yoga.

I must note that the study does not mention walking or hiking or backpacking, though I suspect rowing would fall into the don't-do-while-angry category (though when I have, I've turned in amazing stats on the ERG). I'm thinking the lower impact and serene settings might factor into their exclusion.

This research was based on 154 studies involving more than 10,000 people total. The full writeup is behind a paywall, but the magazine piece distills the findings well. If you need to chill out, don't pick up the phone to vent to someone or pull on running shoes. And especially, don't vent to someone while on a run or bike. It may create more problems than it resolves.

Photo of how I chill out: Visiting the beach -- this one in Leucadia -- at low tide.


Popular posts from this blog

How 'Bout Them Hokies?!

-
Image
After a quick run and not-so-quick coffee break yesterday morning with a friend, I hurredly showered and headed to the mall for holiday shopping. My husband came too, and it wasn't until a young couple passed us saying "Go Hokes" that it dawned on me that they meant Hokies and they meant us because we were both wearing Virginia Tech gear. On Saturday, this might be explained, but a day later, this was momentarily embarrassing - like we were looking for some attention, which if you saw my mussed-up hair and puffy eyes I most assuredly was not. Then again, when the computers rank your alma mater No. 1 and the humans bump it to No. 3, you can let the good tidings and questionable clothing coordination linger a little longer. [This photo by the way was taken by Case Western Reserve University students in Cleveland as a show of solidarity and support following April's massacre. I think all those warm wishes from around the world really helped the team this year. I truly d...
Read more

I Leave You With This

-
Image
There's this social media post some guy put up on Instagram. I almost scrolled past it, but I'm glad I didn't. It asked what question we should ask ourselves when we die. In retrospect, ChatGPT's response was basically pulling from Eastern philosophy, but, still, I couldn't stop thinking about it in the hours and days since I first heard it. Here's a partial transcript I cribbed using -- what else? -- AI. Some guy set up the prompt, which was long and convoluted. The following picks it up from there.  Some guy : I'm assuming most people would ask, 'Where am I going? What's next?' Something like that. Is that a good question?  ChatGPT : No, because they don't matter. Some guy : W hy don't they matter?  ChatGPT : If there's a heaven or hell or some next phase, you're likely already heading there. Asking won't change your destination. It's a wasted question.  Some guy : That's a good point. Um, what about 'Did I do en...
Read more

A Local’s Guide to San Diego’s Sunset Cliffs

-
Image
With pandemic restrictions rapidly lifting, and tourists pouring in, I’m sharing some of my favorite weekend walks. Last Saturday, some friends and I took in iconic Sunset Cliffs between Ocean Beach and Point Loma proper. Let’s start here.   A Brief History of The Cliff’s Rise and Decline There are several spots in San Diego that generate the lion’s share of  FOMO-worthy photos on Instagram and other social media. Sunset Cliffs is one of them .    Historical websites often open with how a sporting goods magnate spent a couple million dollars in the 1910s to make the cliffs publicly accessible with Japanese-inspired landscaped walkways and stairways, shelters and benches, caves and even a saltwater swimming pool replenished with each high tide. Albert Goodwill Spaulding bequeathed his 64-acre seaside park to the city of San Diego, which did nothing with it. A decade later, developer John P. Mills assumed ownership and restored some of the park’s features. He too gave...
Read more