Name: Why venting doesn’t help you deal with anger
Uploaded: 2025-08-13T14:48:22Z
Duration: 15 min 2 s
Description: Does venting actually help you cool off, or does it just add fuel to the fire? Social psychologist Jennifer Parlamis busts common myths about anger, showing how curiosity — not catharsis — can keep you calm. Discover the surprising science behind anger management and four practical tools for building stronger relationships from a researcher who’s rethinking Freud, one deep breath at a time.

Does venting actually help you cool off, or does it just add fuel to the fire? Social psychologist Jennifer Parlamis busts common myths about anger, showing how curiosity — not catharsis — can keep you calm. Discover the surprising science behind anger management and four practical tools for building stronger relationships from a researcher who’s rethinking Freud, one deep breath at a time.

Why venting doesn’t help you deal with anger

Professor and organizational psychologist

Venting might feel satisfying in the moment, but research shows it actually makes anger linger or intensify. Years of studies, including a 2024 meta-analysis, reveal that talking out anger or engaging in intense physical release only raises heart rate and blood pressure. Instead, simple curiosity—like asking what is really causing a conflict—can interrupt the cycle and lead to calmer, more constructive outcomes. Activities that lower physiological arousal, such as meditation or deep breathing, help regulate anger and build stronger relationships.