According to researchers, there is a straightforward yet efficient approach to help individuals manage their anger. The act of writing down the cause of your anger on a piece of paper and disposing of it can effectively defuse your feelings of anger. This method is similar to the Japanese tradition of hakidashisara, where people write down their negative thoughts on a plate and then destroy it. The study’s results indicate a simple and scientifically backed method for controlling anger.
In Japan, a research team has found that jotting down one’s response to a negative situation on paper and then tearing it up or throwing it indicates a promising approach for managing anger.
it reduces feelings of anger significantly.
“Our method was anticipated to reduce anger to a certain degree,” said lead researcher Nobuyuki Kawai. “However, we were surprised to find that anger was nearly completely eliminated.”
This study holds significance as it can help in controlling anger both at home and in the workplace, thereby reducing negative consequences in our personal and professional lives. Unfortunately, many anger management techniques suggested by experts lack empirical research support and can be hard to remember when one is angry.
The findings of this study, which has been published in Scientific Reports, are the result of years of research.The researchers aimed to expand on previous studies that explored the connection between writing and the reduction of anger. They wanted to build on the idea that engaging with physical objects can influence a person’s mood. Kawai and his graduate student, Yuta Kanaya, conducted a project at the Graduate School of Informatics, Nagoya University. They asked participants to write short opinions on important social issues, such as whether smoking in public areas should be banned. The participants were then informed that their writing would be evaluated by a doctoral student at Nagoya University. However, the individuals evaluating the writing were actually part of the research team. Regardless of what the participants wrote, the researchers had a specific plan in place.that their feedback would be shared with the university, while a third group was told that their feedback would remain confidential. The results were staggering. The participants who received negative feedback and were told it would be shared with the university reported feeling the most threatened and experienced the highest level of negative emotions. On the other hand, those who were told their feedback would remain confidential reported feeling less threatened and experienced lower levels of negative emotions. This study highlights the impact of negative feedback and the importance of considering the circumstances in which it is delivered.use paper documents in their work by suggesting that they either destroy the document in a shredder or put it in a plastic box. He conducted an experiment where students were insulted and then asked to rate their anger after disposing of or keeping the paper. The results showed that anger levels returned to normal for those who discarded the paper, while those who kept it only experienced a small decrease in anger. This research could be beneficial for business professionals who rely on paper documents.They may find themselves in stressful situations. “This technique could be applied in the moment by writing down the source of anger as if taking a memo and then throwing it away when one feels angry in a business situation,” he explained.
Along with its practical benefits, this discovery may shed light on the origins of the Japanese cultural tradition known as hakidashisara (hakidashi refers to the purging or spitting out of something, and sara refers to a dish or plate) at the Hiyoshi shrine in Kiyosu, Aichi Prefecture, just outside of Nagoya. Hakidashisara is an annual festival where people smash small disThe study examined the disposal of a written paper as a way to eliminate anger caused by provocation. The researchers discovered a connection between discarding the paper and a reduction in participants’ anger levels. This may help explain why people feel a sense of relief after leaving a festival. The findings were published in the journal Scientific Reports.