Two "raging" customers smash objects with a bat in one of the two specially arranged rooms at the first Rage Room in Athens, Greece, May 25, 2018. An anger room in Athens designed for stressed-out people to relieve their tension by smashing televisions, keyboards, plates and other objects is now open to public. (Xinhua/Chris Kissadjekian)
by Natasha Pavlopoulou
ATHENS, May 27 (Xinhua) -- Forget yoga, meditation and spa. Stressed-out people in Athens can now relieve their tension by smashing televisions, keyboards, plates and other objects. In other words they can "make it all limba" as a popular slang phrase indicated in Greece which means spoil, mess up.
Limba is the name of the first anger room in the centre of Athens, where those who carry something emotionally difficult to bear, had a bad day at work or just want to have some fun can go and feel better.
No matter if it's the economic hardship or a love story goes bad, people can laugh and have fun. "No rage needed to try something new", writes a sign that welcomes customers to the first "rage room" of Greece which opened in December 2016 in a soundproof basement in the colorful neighborhood of Psyrri, central Athens.
Helen Driva and Spyros Trikaliotis are a couple of trainers in their late 20s who own the place and day after day clean the mess of the broken objects, with big smiles.
As for how it starts, Spyros, 29, told Xinhua, "We were in Argentina, the last stop of our journey in Latin America and she (Helen) had her birthday. Looking for what Helen's Day will include, we discovered the rage room."
"We returned to Greece... we decided to make reality the strangest idea we met," said Spyros.
"Limba" appeals to people of all ages and cultures. "To those who want to break, to those who are curious to learn the sound of an object when it breaks, to those who are bored to go out for coffee..." he explained.
In any case it is not addressed to those who have no humor.
All this procedure helps to discharge, but because of the laughter and the "air" of the new experience. "It is not related to violence, outbreak or rage. The only thing that has to do with rage is in the name of the place," noted Helen.
"It seems that in our time, the accumulation of personal, and socio-economic pressures force people to seek immediate relief solutions. Rage rooms seem to provide such a way out, a safe decompression space. In order to meet their long-term and substantive needs, people have to make profound changes," said clinical therapist Petros Dimisianos.
Spyros and Helen buy all the objects to be broken from factories and then they recycle them. Customers are provided with protective equipment that includes a helmet, goggles and gloves.
And they can also pick out a music soundtrack -- including classical, heavy metal even traditional Greek music -- as well as an array of objects to smash.
The most economic package does not exceed 10 euros (11.7 U.S. dollars) which includes 10 bottles and a surprise gift. And it can go up to 100 euros (117 U.S. dollars) for 100 bottles, 4 TVs, 12 glasses, 12 plates etc.
