Making the right impact leaves me breathless but fulfilled

Wearing fluorescent orange overalls, a safety helmet, huge goggles and thick welding gloves, I look as though I'm about to enter a dangerous work area.

Holding a baseball bat, I make my way into the 10-square-meter room. A stack of ceramic plates, cups, bowls, wine glasses and some used electrical items has been placed in one corner.

Welcome to Smash, the Chinese "anger room" where visitors can relieve pressure by breaking items, without worrying about the repair bill.

As instructed, I plug my phone into the speakers and cue up some loud rock music. Then, the manager shuts the door and tells me over the speakers that my 30-minute session has begun. I really go to town - smashing dishes, bottles, plates and a keyboard until I am covered in sweat.

It takes me a while to get through all the items, as I consider myself to be a calm and nonviolent person.

But even so, journalists are a stressed breed. Every time I sit in front of my keyboard at work, staring at a blank file awaiting my words, I feel anxious. So, when I see the keyboard in the anger room, my "inner violence" surfaces.

All my pent-up frustration comes to the fore as I turn the room upside down. I think of the weight I may have gained from eating cheesecake late at night, my mother nagging me to "settle down" - which means finding "a good man" to marry before I reach 30 - and the fact that I'm almost that age and still living from paycheck to paycheck.

The half-hour session flashes by, and I'm left with a room of broken objects. But instead of feeling fulfilled and relaxed, I survey the damage I've done - the floor littered with shattered glasses, crushed cups, broken bottles - and only when I see the guts of the keyboard do I finally feel good.

Jin Meng, who founded the anger room and is a few years younger than me, said the idea is not to promote violence.

She also said that many people working in the media visit the room frequently.

"They come in, determined to reduce stress, and after half an hour of smashing things, they leave with smiles on their faces and return to work and life normally, as though nothing had happened," Jin said.

As for myself, I now think I'm ready for whatever stress comes my way - even from my dreaded keyboard.