02:33
One Australian business is proving to be a smash success with its customers. It's helping people 'break' down stress in a unique way. Greg Navarro explains.
Mayleah House was searching for a break from a very stressful work week.
"Come on through."
That search brought her here.
"What kind of music do you like?"
To a place that seemed suited to her specific needs.
"That's the light one."
A hands-on approach allowing her to unwind. Escalating into a frenetic 10-minute session that ended with a little TV.
MAYLEAH HOUSE CUSTOMER "It was just kind of like getting rid of all of these emotions and stresses, almost like taking everything that you feel and just putting it onto something else which was really nice."
That's the goal of Sydney based Smash Brothers, to give people an unusual outlet to unleash their pent-up emotions without consequences.
"A safety environment, guilt-free so you don't have to clean up yourself.”
Smash rooms are popping up around Australia, giving new meaning to the term lunch break, where you can suit up and more importantly, let go in a controlled environment.
JOHNNY LI CO-FOUNDER, SMASH BROTHERS "The first one or two minutes they are a bit shy but once they start seeing those plates and bottles split up and crack, then they get into the mood and go into it."
GREG NAVARRO SYDNEY "The owners say they see a wide variety of customers from a variety of professions. But what's interesting about the people that come into these rooms is that roughly 8 out of every 10 are women."
OLIVER BRECHT MANAGING DIRECTOR, INSIGHT ELITE PERFORMANCE PSYCHOLOGY "For men to act in an angry manner or stressed manner is somewhat more normal in society but for women it is not as accepted, it is not part of it."
For some, it can be a kind of couple's therapy. For others, including co-founder Johnny Li, break rooms can even help with conflict resolution.
"We come to the office, we buy a case of beer and we discuss it with beers and then after that were break them."
Psychologists stress that this form of stress relief shouldn't be the only weapon in your arsenal of practices.
"For me, I kind of felt sorry for the plates at the beginning."
But it does seem to help unlock those deep-seated emotions.
MAYLEAH HOUSE CUSTOMER "Sometimes it is nice to get it out in the most primal way without hurting somebody."
And offer a way to attack that bottled up stress. Greg Navarro, CGTN, Sydney.