What if we say, there is now actually a place you can go to vent out all your anger on inanimate things and let that inner child go wild. It may seem like a crazy idea, but many vouch for its therapeutic value.

A new venture called Breakroom in Gurgaon is now providing a place for customers to go absolutely berserk and demolish things to unleash their frustrations. And yes, it’s the first of its kind in India. 

A description on its website reads: If your boss is giving you a hard time. Or your significant other is stressing you out. Or your ex just got married. Or, god forbid, you were stuck in Delhi traffic for HOURS! Whatever your reason or maybe no reason at all, the Break Room provides you with a place to let loose. You’ve tried Yoga and Meditation, try something different. Break something or everything at the Break Room!

CEO and founder of Breakroom, Sanwari Gupta told ScoopWhoop News all you may want to know about this new concept which has got everyone talking:

• How did they get this crazy idea?

Two years ago, 27-year-old Delhi girl Sanwari Gupta along with her partner Akshat Goel started a venture called Ctrl.Shift.Esc to bring an alternative form of entertainment to Delhi. 

”Last year my partner heard about this concept and we thought about introducing it to Delhi. We just launched The Break Room (two weeks ago), but the concept has definitely captured people’s interest and we have got some customers”, Sanwari told ScoopWhoop News.

She said a latest worldwide trend is to let people safely channel their anger. It all started way back in 2008, when the first “Anger Room” was opened in Texas, and its popularity set an interesting trend in other parts of the world. 

In recent years, similar ventures have started up in Dallas, Melbourne, Toronto and Serbia, with names like the Rage Room or the Anger Room from where the makers of Break Room got inspiration from.

•  all can go to Breakroom?

You just need to be above 18 years of age to go there, produce an identity card and sign a waiver before the game. You will then be required to wear the safety gear, pick what you want to break off the menu and then break away.

The price ranges from Rs. 199 to Rs. 1000 based on what you decide to buy to break.

• Why are they destroying things that could be of use?

”We buy items that are junk or not working anymore but in a solid condition, that is, not already broken or damaged. Once they are broken in our break room – we send the pieces for recycling. So for people who think we are wasting resources – we are not, just making more use out of scrap”, Sanwari explains.

•  really think Indians will care?

Expressing confidence, Sanwari tells ScoopWhoop News that so far people who have tried the Breakroom have had a lot of fun. In fact, all the people who visited ‘enjoyed’ it rather than vent out frustration or anger. 

This is what she says people have told her about their experience:

• “I felt like a kid being able to break whatever I want, and not worry”
• “It was soooo fun”
• “I felt like I was reliving a movie scene”
• “I didn’t know I was this strong”
• “This is a great workout”

• Looks dangerous. Is it so?

Sanwari says that even though this game may seem super violent and destructive, but it’s really a good workout. 

”You can go crazy with the bat, and as long as you follow the safety rules you’ll be protected. The idea behind this is not to make any medical claims or offer any sort of therapy. Yes, it might end up being therapeutic for some people but that is not our goal. We want to make sure people don’t misconstrue this as a platform to promote violence or a solution for anger management. Our staff is trained to make sure all safety conditions are followed and no exceptions made.” 

• Looks like it promotes violence…

Of course, this sport lets you pass off steam, but psychologists think other wise. We read a few reports of critics from the psychology field who are of the opinion that normalizing violence portrayed by the marketing strategies by such anger rooms is not healthy.

People assume that a good scream or hitting things is an effective way of allowing anger to bubble over to the surface. Unfortunately, it doesn’t work according to a report in Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. It only reinforces the link between being angry and acting in an aggressive manner. As a result, future aggressive behavior becomes more common.

However, Professor Novaco, professor of psychology and social behavior at University of California acknowledges that the concept may be ‘goofy’, but it has some therapeutic value by helping people alleviate tension. “Anger Room might give people a way to bash things up and get it out of their system. But life’s problems remain,” he says.

Well, whether these rooms are fun or a dangerous portrayal of the times we live in, that is up to you to decide. Meanwhile just smash the stress away. Or not!