If you find it hard to count to 10 when anger bubbles up, a new trend offers a more hands-on approach. Rage rooms are cropping up across the UK, allowing punters to smash seven bells out of old TVs, plates and furniture.<\/p>\n
Such pay-to-destroy ventures are thought to have originated in Japan in 2008, but have since gone global<\/a>. In the UK alone venues can be found in locations from Birmingham to Brighton, with many promoting destruction as a stress-relieving experience.<\/p>\n According to Smash It Rage Rooms<\/a> in south-east London, where a 30-minute solo session costs \u00a350, \u201ceach smash is a cathartic release, a burst of pure, primal joy\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are at capacity \u2013 we were looking for another venue because we can\u2019t keep up with demand,\u201d said Amelia Smewing, who set up the business with her husband after exploring ways to help their son cope with PTSD.<\/p>\n Nicola Davis\u2019s rage room experience<\/a>Nicola Davis\u2019s rage room experience<\/p>\n Rob Clark, an operations director at Urban Xtreme Ltd<\/a>, said the popularity of its Rage Room was growing year on year, with customers ranging from younger people looking for a unique experience, to groups of women celebrating break-ups, and people using the space as a \u201chealthy outlet\u201d for stress or mental health challenges.<\/p>\n Clark said many customers were navigating tough personal challenges. \u201cThe feedback we get is consistently good \u2013 the Rage Room gives them a safe, constructive way to release pent-up anger and frustration, and it\u2019s making a genuine difference to their mental wellbeing,\u201d he said, adding several youth care homes regularly bring their teenagers, while a handful of therapists actively refer clients when traditional talking therapy is not enough.<\/p>\n Lucy Bee, the founder of Rage Rooms Leamington Spa<\/a> said her venue also hosted visits from schools and children\u2019s homes. But people also just come for fun. \u201cIt\u2019s so against how we\u2019re conditioned to behave,\u201d she said. \u201cIt is so naughty.\u201d<\/p>\n Like other venues, Bee said, the typical \u201crager\u201d is female. \u201cWe\u2019re talking early 40s, woman, a couple of kids, good job,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n Bee added that having trained as a holistic therapist she found many women experience guilt and shame over feeling angry.<\/p>\n \u201cA lot of women \u2026 are at breaking point, permanently teetering, living in survival mode. And this gives them a way to just let it out,\u201d Bee said, adding that for some people who were struggling the experience could act as a gateway towards seeking further help.<\/p>\n skip past newsletter promotion<\/a><\/p>\n Our morning email breaks down the key stories of the day, telling you what\u2019s happening and why it matters<\/p>\n Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain information about charities, online ads, and content funded by outside parties. If you do not have an account, we will create a guest account for you on theguardian.com<\/a> to send you this newsletter. You can complete full registration at any time. For more information about how we use your data see our Privacy Policy<\/a>. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and the Google Privacy Policy<\/a> and Terms of Service<\/a> apply.<\/p>\n after newsletter promotion<\/p>\n Despite having a happy home life, I get frustrated over house repairs, woeful train services, and the state of the nation. So I don a protective outfit, pull down my visor and enter one of Bee\u2019s rage rooms.<\/p>\n Within seconds I am turning wine bottles into explosions of glass, laughing in surprise at myself. But I don\u2019t enjoy the noise and am thinking more about the mess than experiencing a release.<\/p>\n Experts, too, have qualms.<\/p>\n