My 8th grade health teacher was teaching us about anger management techniques, and he suggested one that I found particularly interesting. Does punching a pillow or a punching bag or something similar really serve to calm us down and make us feel better? If anything, I would think that it would make us angrier. At least, that’s how it has been in my experience. Listening to music or taking a nap works much better, in my anecdotal experiences.
Scientists have found that swinging at a punching bag can actually increase anger and aggression levels. It does nothing to calm you down, and is no help in relieving one’s anger. This works in the same way that swearing at someone who you are angry at will only serve to make you angrier. Empathy is key when trying to reduce anger levels, not retaliation. There is no such thing as “blowing off steam.”
In 1999, a laboratory experiment was run in order to test the hypothesis that punching bags relieved stress. A group of people was intentionally made upset, and then were split into two groups. One group was then told to punch a punching bag for two minutes, while the other group did not. The group that had punched the bag was notably more angry after the two minute period than the group that had not. The subjects linked the anger they had with the aggression of punching the bag, and were unable to calm themselves.
Why is punching something still being commonly recommended as an anger-management technique? It is clearly a poor method for reducing in stress, as it does the exact opposite. Hopefully, health teachers will be educated on this and punching a bag will cease to be recommended to kids. Anger management is not something to be taken lightly, and utilizing science to recognize the best management techniques is imperative.
ayd5332, in my opinion, kickboxing is a controlled activity that you do for your own enjoyment. Punching a bag usually involves just going wild and funneling all your anger into your physical aggression. While kickboxing may not be the best option for relieving stress, it can definitely work for you if you have your emotions under control. If kickboxing is an organized activity that you enjoy, and it helps you reduce stress, I see no reason to stop.
If hitting a punching bag is not helpful for “blowing off steam,” does this mean other similar forms of blowing off steam would also not be helpful? I take kick boxing classes that I love especially when I am feeling angry after a long day, so I would be curious to know if the kick boxing is considered to be different from simply punching a pillow.
Wow, I always thought that punching something did calm people down. Just as your health teacher told you that, I have also had many people tell me that. It is actually crazy the amount of people who probably think that punching something is a good way to relieve anger. In my own experience with anger I also suggest taking naps. I always feel better after I have time to sleep something off.