Shout Into Your Phone and Turn It on Through the Speaker in Iceland
Have you been so angry, frustrated and / or stressed lately that you just want to scream for as long as possible into the void? We, too. But, as it turned out, we now have the ability to have our blood-curdling screams echo across the country, particularly in Iceland . A small island country, a place that you have intended to visit for years but something keeps happening, sacrifices its soundscape for the greater good.
The Icelandic Tourism Board is launching a new program called “Let It Out,” which gives people around the world the ability to shout into their phone, tablet or laptop and play it on the street through a loudspeaker in Iceland. Scream therapy has been around since the 1970s and has been used as a way to release pent-up emotions, according to Zoe Aston , a British therapist and mental health consultant featured on the site. She explains that screaming can be especially effective when you can make loud noises in a wide open area. “It literally allows the amygdala to release the accumulated stress and move forward,” adds Aston.
How to get Icelandic screaming therapy
Here’s what to do if you want to try this screaming therapy. (It’s pretty straightforward and doesn’t require leaving the house / couch / bed). Just go to the site and click on the yellow circle that says “Click here to shout.” Your browser will then most likely ask for permission to access your microphone (which is needed to record your scream).
Once this is done, press and hold the yellow circle with the old microphone and shout until the green circle border appears. And it’s all! You can ask them to reproduce your cry in response and send it to Jupivogur, East Iceland (or other locations across the country that the site chooses for you) where it will be heard from the speakers outside. Happy cry!
And of course, seek help from a mental health professional if needed. Here’s where you can find free mental health resources during a pandemic.