Every Sunday at 7 p.m., a group called the Scream Club Chicago convenes on the North Avenue Beach pier. Participants breathe deeply and then collectively scream at the top of their lungs into the air over Lake Michigan.
What started as a simple gathering of stressed-out friends is now drawing curious newcomers eager to let off steam. No prior experience needed. Just show up, take a deep breath, and yell.
“We would sit and scream.”
Behavior and data scientist Professor Pragya Agarwal decided to start screaming with her daughters to help them cope with the stresses of lockdown during the pandemic. “We would sit in the car and scream,” she wrote in The Guardian in 2022. “Or we would run around the garden and scream. Or we would run up and down the stairs screaming. And then we would flop on the floor laughing and it really helped us bond as well.”
At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Iceland’s tourism board offered people the opportunity to record a scream, wail, or similar noises on the “Let It Out” site, which would be played on various speakers across the nation’s vast and remote landscapes. “We feel this is just what the world needs,” Visit Iceland’s Sigríður Dögg Guðmundsdóttir told Condé Nast Traveler. “[Iceland’s nature] is the perfect place to let out our frustrations.”
Many of us are experiencing new levels and sources of stress these days (as if we needed more), beginning with the pandemic and leading up to a turbulent geopolitical atmosphere. And screaming—yes, full-throated, deep-bellied yelling—can actually help.
The science of screaming
According to mental health experts, there’s some truth to the cathartic power of a good scream. Not screaming AT someone, but screaming WITH others, or on your own, into the void.
“Screaming can be cathartic in the moment, helping to express and release emotions,” Dr. Rebecca Semmens-Wheeler, senior lecturer in psychology at Birmingham City University, stated during an interview on the BBC. “Screaming with other people could engender a sense of common humanity, which has been identified as a component of self-compassion,” she added. “This helps us to feel that we are not alone and recognizing this can lead to a sense of greater strength and ability to cope with challenges.”
Screaming engages the vagus nerve, which helps regulate the nervous system. It slows down your heart rate, lowers your blood pressure, and inhibits your body’s stress response, or fight-or-flight response, moving your body into a calmer parasympathetic state—like a reset.
“[We use] primal scream therapy when we don’t necessarily have the words to express our frustrations and things a bit more visceral,” says Zoë Aston, a London-based psychotherapist who consulted on Iceland’s endeavor. “That’s exactly what’s going on for people right now, because we aren’t equipped to deal with the feelings that we are having [during the pandemic] and, because we aren’t moving as much, there’s a physical buildup of emotion, which can produce blockages and things like depression and anxiety.”
Let it go, let it go
For many, screaming with abandon can help unlock those emotions and work through them, and ultimately let them go, says Aston. “The venting allows that emotional blockage to shift, so that the part of the mind that has been in survival mode for the last several months is then freed up to make really good decisions about what happens moving forward,” she says.
Screaming can also trigger a quick release of endorphins and adrenaline, two chemicals that elevate mood and reduce pain. Some people report feeling energized and lighter immediately afterward—like they’ve shed a layer of emotional weight.
While scream therapy isn’t a replacement for long-term mental health care, it can be a helpful tool for short-term stress relief. And unlike a spa day or a weekend getaway, it’s free, accessible, and takes only a few minutes.
Where the Japanese practice of forest bathing is quiet and grounding, running endorphine-releasing, and yoga centering, scream therapy is primal and explosive. But both offer a moment of emotional release and reconnection—with ourselves, with nature, and with our bodies.
For some women, yoga or forest bathing feels more natural. For others, screaming feels more necessary. You don’t have to choose—both practices can offer relief in different ways. Think of them as tools in your wellness toolkit.
What mental health professionals say
Most therapists agree that scream therapy should be practiced safely and intentionally.
Aston emphasizes that the power of a scream comes from awareness and purpose—not just rage. Screaming with intention, she says, aligns with a deeper emotional process rather than impulsive venting.
Most therapists are skeptical, however, about screaming’s potential benefits, especially in the long term.
“[That] is kind of the opposite with what you’re doing with things like meditation or yoga, which is usually activating the parasympathetic nervous system that helps you to slow down, take stock, let the prefrontal cortex get some glucose again … and helps us to make better decisions,” Dr. Semmens-Wheeler told The Guardian. She added that if screaming becomes a habit it could also get in the way of taking other action that could be more helpful when it comes to tackling emotions.
But context is important, she noted. If you want to do it for a laugh, why not?” she said. “Maybe you’ll feel good for a few minutes. But I don’t think it’s got any potential as a lasting and ongoing treatment.
How to scream safely
Fed up with the news? Had a bad day? Want to see if screaming works for you? Here are some guidelines to help you get the most out of it.
1. Choose a private or safe space. Your car with the windows rolled up. A basement. A remote hiking trail. Even screaming into a pillow can work. Or a cliff overlooking the ocean. Stay clear of densely populated areas unless you want the neighbors to come running with pitchforks.
[Screaming is spawning a cottage industry for screaming pillows. They have noise-reducing properties, so the people next door won’t hear your wailing. Popular brands include the Yell Pillow, the Shoutlet, and the Scream Catcher Pillow.]
2. Start with breathwork. Take a few deep breaths to center yourself. This helps prepare your nervous system and your vocal cords.
3. Warm up your voice. Humming or making low sounds helps avoid strain. You don’t want to injure yourself.
4. Roar, don’t squeal. Scream from your diaphragm, not your throat. Think of it as a deep roar, not a high-pitched squeal.
5. Cool down. Follow with quiet time, a short walk, or even journaling. Notice how you feel emotionally and physically.
6. Be respectful. Make sure you’re not disturbing neighbors or others nearby. This is therapy, not chaos.
So if you’ve been carrying the weight of the world—or just the weight of a bad week—consider this your invitation. Step outside. Take a deep breath. And let it out. Then go have some pie.
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