Stress, sadness, frustration, a deep sense of loss – all these negative emotions congested like rush hour traffic in the heart and soul of the South Florida woman. It was for good reason. Her husband had just died. And now, her birthday had arrived, emphasizing the emptiness. Still, the woman’s family wanted to do something special for the birthday -- something that would break her cycle of bleakness. A spa weekend? A yoga retreat? A vacation? Nope, it needed to be more active and affirming – something more empowering to blast through the barrier of grief and pain.

Kathy Barrios and Messiel Reyes, Co-Founders, Smash the Rage.

The family came to Smash the Rage in Miami, FL. By the time their session was over, the woman’s catharsis had begun. “She enjoyed it so much that she brought her sister a few weeks later to do another session,” says Kathy Barrios, co-founder/owner of Smash the Rage. “They left crying and laughing. They had an amazing time.”

The anecdote illustrates the release a growing number of Americans are experiencing after visits to “rage rooms” like Smash the Rage, says Barrios, a human resources professional for Polyconcept North America who co-founded Smash the Rage as a side venture.

Just what’s a rage room, you ask?

“Rage rooms are safe controlled rooms where you are given regular household items and you get to destroy them,” says Barrios, noting participants wear protective equipment. “These short 15-to-25 minute sessions can get your adrenaline kicking and your blood flowing. You release so much of that pent-up tension and stress that you've been carrying.”

Rage rooms appear to have originated in Asia, most likely Japan, as a way for overtaxed workers to relieve tension. They’ve since spread around the world, from Europe and South America, to the United States. Barrios and her business partner Massiel Reyes launched Smash the Rage in September last year. They say it’s the first rage room in South Florida. Both women continue to work their day jobs, managing rage room events on the weekends and some nights. Business in the 1,500-square-foot space has been brisk, and Smash the Rage has featured in local television media.

“We’re excited,” says Barrios. “We’re focused on spreading the word and having people give us their feedback. We just hope that people continue to check this out and see the benefits of it.”

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Another weekend bites the dust - but Sunday funday isn’t over yet! One more week of MARCH MADNESS!

A post shared by SMASH THE RAGE (@smashtherage) on Mar 24, 2019 at 12:39pm PDT

Happy customers at Smash the Rage.

As an HR professional, Barrios knows well that workplace stresses in even the most positive company cultures can sometimes weigh heavy on employees. Rage rooms can provide an outlet for release, she says. While her Polyconcept colleagues haven’t been in for a company-sponsored smash-up yet, other businesses have visited – and enjoyed – their time at Smash the Rage. “From a wellness perspective, it gets the employee's blood flowing and adrenaline rushing in a new, fun and innovative way,” says Barrios.

Some mental health professionals take issue with rage rooms. They argue that the experience can ferment deeper foundational anger and contribute to blocking participants from learning better mechanisms for coping with stress. Barrios and Reyes don’t claim to be providing therapy or medical treatment, and they certainly make clear on their website that they’re not psychologists or psychiatrists. Still, they say, their firsthand witnessing of cathartic experiences among clients leads them to believe that rage rooms can provide a welcome deliverance from daily life’s ample stresses.

Working in the promo industry, Barrios made sure Smash the Rage had some branded merchandise, like the above hat, as well as the protective headwear participants wear during a session.

“We have seen this help people in ways that no other thing has,” says Barrios. “It should be something that definitely ties to professional help to continue to work on the deeper issue. However, as far as everyday stress, this is like boxing: You're increasing your adrenaline, you're sweating, you’re working an eight-pound hammer, and you’re having fun.”

A typical session plays out for 15-to-25 minutes inside a room that’s been stocked with smashables – everything from bottles and televisions, to furniture and much more. Some participants bring things they want to destroy. Smash the Rage also collects and provides items to bust up. During the smack down, participants wear a jumpsuit and a helmet with a faceshield for protection. They use the hammer to go to town, so to speak, on the breakables. A bring-your-own-items session can start at $20; a whole room set up involving a themed room runs $100-plus. Themes can include everything from parenting stress, divorce parties and holiday-time sadness, to celebrating victories like beating cancer.

The rage room at Smash the Rage before participants get to work busting things up. Donations of unwanted items help Barrios and Reyes keep the space stocked with smashable goods.

“When you first go inside the room, it feels awkward because these are not things you're supposed to be breaking -- if your mother knew what you were doing, she'd swing the chancleta,” says Barrios with a laugh. “But after the first few swings, you're having fun and you start sweating and dancing. When the session is over, you're just mellow and ready for a nap.”

Barrios and Reyes having some fun.

The idea for Smash the Rage was born from personal experience. After a particularly stressful stretch, Barrios one day felt she’d reach her boiling point. She admits: She literally felt like smashing something. She channeled the energy into researching rage rooms, and within 24 hours, had a business plan for Smash the Rage written up. Now she has a space to do a bit of smashing when needed.

“It’s just a different way for people to release their stress and relax,” says Barrios.

Who knows? Maybe one day Smash the Rage can do on-site rooms at industry trade shows. We’re fairly certain there are more than a few deadline-buzzing, hard-charging promo pros who could do with a session of hammer-fueled tension taming. Perhaps, too, HR executives and department heads/managers in the industry might want to consider planning a rage room event for employees. It could prove just the thing to dispel any simmering angst.