Release your rage

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It’s all in the name Holly Worby

Regina rage room reopens after COVID restrictions

Have you ever wanted to toss a plate like a frisbee into a wall? Or smash a television screen with a baseball bat? Maybe taking a monkey wrench to an old door is more your speed. Whatever the case, if you’ve ever felt the need to sublimate your emotions (or just think this all sounds really fun), you need look no further than the Regina Rage Room.  

In the winter of 2017, Morgan Turner found the inspiration to make her own rage room after seeing it work in action. A close friend of hers was going through some rough times, so Turner set up a DIY raging space in her backyard. They blasted music while shattering vintage windows and “random crud” she had around, which both found cathartic.  

On July 18, 2019, Turner opened the Regina Rage Room at 1333 Rose Street, making it the first and only rage room in. Her and her fiancé, Kelly Taylor, are the only employees, meaning every visit the customers get to see their joyful faces.  

For those who don’t know, a rage room is a place you can go to break things for fun. The benefit of rage rooms comes partially in the form of sublimation, which is when socially inappropriate behaviours are turned into ones that are both socially acceptable and, ideally ,beneficial. Examples of this include going for a run instead of punching through a wall, or using a stress ball to release anxious energy. 

“You don’t have to be angry to be here,” Turner commented with a laugh in our interview, “but I can say that some people go in and they’re fine, but when they come out you can tell they broke some stuff with specific people in mind.” 

One major benefit to participating in a rage room is the release of endorphins due to the physical activity. Endorphins are a peptide-neurotransmitter and hormone that bind to the same receptors in our brains as opioids do, and they’re produced by and in our bodies with exercise. They are pain-reducing and have been linked to the mood-boosting impact of exercise. Overall, they increase a person’s feeling of well-being, which is something everyone needs more of. If you’re not one for team sports, cardio, or the gym, this is a perfect way to make sure you’re getting a quality work-out that rewards you with both physical and mental benefits.  

The Rage Room provides safety equipment like face masks, gloves, and jumpsuits with the purchase of a room package. They also supply the various tools you can use for your raging, including frying pans, pool cues from Wonderland, and the ever-classic baseball bat. Turner also mentions that if you have a request for a type of item you’d like to break and you give them enough notice they’ll do their best to make that dream come true. 

Nearly all of the objects they have in the rooms to be destroyed are acquired via donation, with some items coming from local businesses like Fresh & Sweet and Dent Centre. If you or your business have items you’d like to donate you can message Regina Rage Room on Facebook. For some items they can arrange to pick them up, and they’ll give you a coupon for $5 off a room so you’ll have a chance to see how much joy you’re providing others by donating! They won’t take soft furniture or major appliances, but everything from mirrors to garden gnomes to chipped tea-cups are all welcome.  

The Regina Rage Room is open to those age 10 or older, and their oldest visitor so far was in her 80s, so don’t think this is a place you can’t take grandma. She’d probably have a blast making a mess that someone else has to clean up for a change. 

I first visited the Regina Rage Room in February, and the experience blew me away. Turner is one of the warmest people I’ve ever met. Her passion for what she does is incredible, and she instantly makes you feel comfortable. She was patient with all my questions and had my friend and I set up in no time. After putting on the safety equipment and entering the room my eyes locked onto a stack of plates that I threw – yes, like frisbees – into the wall. I also managed to break the baseball bat I was using to hit things with, which (thankfully) we all laughed about.   

Turner mentioned a few goals to me, the first being to construct a mobile Rage Room that could be rented out for events; she already has approval from her insurance for this project, so now it’s only a matter of time. The second goal that’s a little further down the road is to become a therapy option that can be prescribed to people. I can personally report that after doing a rage room session my head felt clearer, I felt energized and alert but in a focused sense, I felt really connected to the friend I was there with due to all our teamwork in breaking apart the big-ticket items, and I laughed so much my cheeks hurt by the end.  

Ironically, laughter is a very common sound at the Regina Rage Room. Turner’s smile and laugh are wildly contagious, and she gets so much joy from bringing joy to others. “I love when any group comes in and I can hear them belly laugh from the room.” she mentioned at the end of our interview. “That’s all the serotonin I need for the day.”

Rage room packages range from $35 to $55. They reopened after COVID restrictions on July 15. 

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