Could a Rage Room Become Part of Your Self-Care Routine?

You can never have too many coping mechanisms. There are seemingly unlimited potential stressors out there, so why shouldn’t you be prepared with seemingly unlimited tools for combating them? No two people are alike and no two situations are ever the same—so every individual needs their own approach to self-care. For some, self-care might mean a meditation session. Others might use exercise or creative expression to expend their frustration or worry. Self-care can even be as simple as going on a run or having a long talk with a good friend. 

In some cases, though, self-care is rage. More specifically, a rage room. 

Don’t be afraid of the rage! A rage room can be a surprisingly great tool for getting centered and improving your overall mindset. In fact, it might just be your new best friend next time you’re looking for an emotional release. 

Keep scrolling to learn more about rage rooms and the role they have to play in your self-care regimen. 

Quick Links

• What Is a Rage Room?
• Benefits to a Rage Room
• Drawbacks to a Rage Room
• Rage Room Alternatives 

What Is a Rage Room? 

First thing’s first: what is a rage room, anyway? Plain and simple, it’s a space where people are allowed—even encouraged!—to be angry. You may also have heard them described as “smash rooms.” 

A rage room isn’t just something you can have in your home—at least not easily. People who enjoy and find an emotional release in rage rooms will usually rent one for a fixed period of time. Thanks to their growing popularity in recent years, they’re available in more and more locations. 

The purpose of a rage room is to create a safe, controlled space where people can take out their aggression, stress, frustration, and, well, rage in a way that’s not appropriate elsewhere. If you find that your anger and negativity tend to manifest themselves as aggression that overflows into other areas of your life, a rage room might be just the thing to incorporate into your self-care routine. 

What Do You Do in a Rage Room? 

Every rage room will be a little different, but picture this: You’ll walk into a bare-bones, potentially industrial space. While there won’t be any typical furnishings there, it will be equipped with everything you need to break things. 

Here are a few items that are commonly stocked and ready to wreck:

• Televisions 
• Washing machines 
• Dishwashers 
• Plates 
• Glasses
• Dryers 
• Cars
• Printers 
• Wine bottles 
• Vases 
• Blenders 
• Tiles 

Rage room participants are given protective gear—including goggles, a helmet, and a safety suit—as well as a baseball bat. From there, they’re set loose in the space to take out their rage on the items in the room. 

While rage rooms will always have a handful of rules, you’ll more or less be invited to go wild with that bat! Use it to smash, wreck, break, and generally destroy anything and everything in sight. While you’re at it, scream as loud as you’d like. 

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Benefits to a Rage Room

The cool thing about a rage room is that it offers permission to behave in a way that usually isn’t allowed. In your real life, it’s never okay to take a baseball bat to breakable stuff in the name of emotional release. But let’s be honest: It sounds pretty tempting sometimes. 

Plus, releasing your anger and stress can be good for you. Here’s why, according to Healthline: 

• It’s a safe space to be angry. Most of the time, rage isn’t considered socially acceptable, but that doesn’t mean it’s not a valid way to process your feelings. A rage room is quite literally built to house your intense emotions. 
• It can provide a bonding experience. If you choose to bring friends or loved ones to a rage room with you, it practically becomes a team-building exercise. You might even opt to share the experience with people you’re in tension with! Maybe all you need to get to the other side of your argument is some time raging. 
• It makes you feel more in control. It’s powerful to be in command of a space, no matter how small. If you’re feeling out of control in your life, putting yourself in a room with a baseball bat is bound to be an empowering experience. 
• It allows you to totally let go! It won’t take very long for you to lose your inhibitions in a rage room. Once you start breaking things, you won’t be able to stop. Plus, you can scream as loudly as you want. 
• It might inspire you to take a new step. Closure is often necessary for someone to be able to move through and beyond a challenging emotional period. After letting it all go in a rage room, you might feel like you have the closure you need to make changes in your life. 

Together, these benefits have the potential to improve your mental health, especially if you’re stuck in a particularly difficult time. Plus, it’s totally different from any other form of self-care—and variety is the spice of life. 

Drawbacks to a Rage Room 

Rage rooms aren’t the perfect solution to your stress. Like everything, they have their drawbacks as well. Here are some potential cons and risks:

• They’re not free. There’s a rental fee associated with every rage room. Prices vary based on location and group size—and some rage rooms will offer multiple packages depending on how much stuff you want to break—but you should expect to pay somewhere between $15 and $50 for a session. If you get addicted to raging, it could get pricey. 
• There are safety concerns. Rage rooms do everything they can to protect their visitors, but any time you have baseball bats and breakables, there are risks. If nothing else, your arms might be a little sore when you’re done! 
• In some cases, it might release more aggression and anger. Many people find that a rage room provides a way to contain their negative emotions, but what if that negativity can’t quite be contained? According to Healthline, some might find that getting a taste of rage will cause further aggression. This is especially likely for people who aren’t addressing their stress—and its root causes—in other ways.

As long as you’re aware of these drawbacks, you can be more aware of your experience and ensure that it’s a positive one. 

Rage Room Alternatives 

There are, of course, other forms of self-care and emotional release that can serve as alternatives to a session. Multiple self-care activities can also supplement each other to give you a well-rounded regimen. 

Exercise 

If part of the appeal of a rage room as an emotional release is its physicality, you might opt for an intense workout. Per the Mayo Clinic, exercise has been proven to improve mental health, which makes it an excellent form of self-care. Hit the yoga mat, enjoy some fresh air on a run, take a spin class, or—if you still want to let go of some rage—try boxing! 

Meditation

Meditation is a grounding mindfulness practice that is also known for releasing negativity and helping people get centered. It’s much quieter and calmer than going to a rage room, but it’s been known to achieve similar mood-boosting results.  

Creative Hobbies

Practicing creativity has also been known to relieve stress and anger. Just like when you’re in a rage room, you’re doing something with your hands. Plus, it gets you into a quiet, meditative state. 

Channel Your Rage! 

Now that you know there’s a safe, controlled place for you to let out your anger, you might be less likely to lose your temper in other situations. Next time you’re feeling stressed and edgy, find a rage room in your area and give it a shot. It might even become a permanent part of your self-care routine. 

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