eli5: Why do we destroy/feel the urge to destroy things when angry? How does that relieve anger/stress?
In: Other
It’s the body’s stress response. Our bodies get flooded with stress hormones like cortisol, and we are evolutionarily wired to rid the body of stress hormones through physical movement (fighting or running). Our modern stressors aren’t tigers to run from, but our bodies don’t understand this. Interesting fact, when something like a deer goes into a freeze response, they use physical movement (shaking) to release the stress hormones afterward.
When the urge to destroy something comes on, try laughing instead. That stimulates the vagus nerve and activates the parasympathetic nervous system (rest/digest), which counteracts your sympathetic nervous system (fight/flight/freeze/fawn).
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