Mood Freezing

Mood freezing is a term based on a 1984 experiment which utilized “mood freezing pills”. In the study, the researchers purposefully annoyed the respondents and gave them placebos (mood freezing pills) which supposedly made their current moods fixed. When the respondents were convinced that expressing aggression would not make them feel better, they actually accepted their current situation which eventually improved their moods. The researchers concluded that, contrary to the majority’s belief, ventilating anger may do more harm than good as it may magnify negative emotions and create relational conflict. Instead, it is better to use other forms of coping such as accepting consequences, practicing relaxation strategies, and looking for distractions.