Anger often lasts longer than we might like it to last, for one obvious reason: the mind keeps returning to it. When something makes us angry, it’s common for us to dwell on the trigger. Maybe we will replay certain comments, or rehearse better replies, or imagine an alternate scenario where XYZ didn’t happen. Even when someone knows it is unhelpful to keep thinking about it, the emotional system can stay switched on.

In clinical terms, this is called rumination, and it is one of the main reasons anger persists after an event has passed. CBT (cognitive behavioural therapy), like various other psychological approaches, uses various strategies to try and deal with this, such as by challenging angry thoughts, reframing meaning, or shifting attention elsewhere. I have often written about these cognitive strategies but while they can help, they are not the only way of helping angry emotions to settle.

A 2024 study from Japan explored a different approach, asking whether a very simple action – something physical and symbolic – might affect how long anger lasts. The people who took part in the study were asked to write brief opinions about social problems. However, instead of being thanked for their efforts, they were greeted with a handwritten, insulting comment about their opinions. Unsurprisingly, this made the participants angry. They were then asked to write down their feelings on a sheet of paper. After this, participants were split into two groups. One group disposed of the paper by throwing it away or shredding it. The other group kept it, placing it in a folder or container.

The results? Both groups felt some reduction in anger after writing. However, only the group that discarded the paper returned to their previously calm emotional state. Those who kept it remained noticeably more angry. Both groups did the same thing in terms of expressing their anger, so that is not the key factor here. What differed was what happened next – discard the paper, or keep it. In other words, the researchers concluded, the key factor was a symbolic one. Discarding the paper may have acted as a kind of psychological signal to the brain that the emotional episode is finished. Keeping it, even passively, may keep the experience psychologically ‘open’.

Closure

From a CBT point of view, this matters because it confirms that emotional change is not only about thinking differently about what happened, or challenging angry beliefs. It also involves behaviour, including even small actions that may give the mind a sense of closure. One way of thinking about this is that our emotions can be shaped by signals that something is finished. When something linked to the anger is physically thrown away, it may act as a cue that the episode is over. The mind is no longer holding on to it in quite the same way.

Of course, none of this means that the original problem is solved, or that the anger was wrong. It simply suggests that feelings may settle more quickly when there is a clear ending point. Still, it does leave us with a practical takeaway: writing down angry thoughts and then throwing the paper away may help some people to let go of lingering anger. Doing something that clearly and physically marks it as finished may be more important than one might think.

This is also something people often do already without thinking about it. After difficult conversations or stressful events, people might delete a message draft, clear away notes, or tidy something connected to what happened. These actions obviously don’t change the past, but they can reduce the sense that the mind is still stuck on it. Now, I should add that it’s important not to overstate what the study shows. It was done in a controlled setting, and it is not clear how far the effect carries over into more complex real-life situations, especially ongoing relationships where emotions are repeated and layered.

Still, it’s a simple tool and one that may prove useful when navigating certain difficult situations. Closure matters, and sometimes the mind needs a clear sense that something has ended.

Linda Hamilton is aKinsale-based cognitivebehavioural therapist. If you would like to get in touch with her, call 086-3300807 For more information, go to www.kinsalecbt.com