Forget the flowers, spa appointments, and jewelry this Mother’s Day.
In eight cities across the United States, moms can get free access to rage rooms, designed to help them let off some steam.
The campaign is, ironically, led by Calm, a mental health company best known for its in-app guided meditations.
“At Calm, we know moms aren’t calm,” the company’s VP of Brand, Blake Beers, said in a statement.
“They’re light on sleep, heavy on the mental load, and always on. Real mental health support isn’t about silencing the chaos — it’s about making space for it.”
Through its Not Calm Moms initiative, the brand is sponsoring community “rage room” events in New York City, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, Minneapolis, Nashville, and Seattle.
After filling out a simple form, moms in these cities will receive a gift certificate to cover a rage room experience for them and a few friends.
As comedic as it may seem, Calm emphasized the real science behind the initiative, and emphasized that moms don’t need “calm” — but rather, community.
“Research shows that when mothers feel seen, supported, and valued, they become the steady, resilient presence their children need,” said journalist, author, and Calm partner Jennifer Wallace.
“We all know kids need strong, dependable adults to thrive — but we rarely talk about this: sturdy adults need other sturdy adults, too. Yet, mothers are sold the myth that they must do it all alone. Not Calm Moms challenges this damaging narrative and offers something far more powerful: real community and support.”
In these sponsored rage room events, participants will have the opportunity to smash breakable items, listen to loud music, and scream in cathartic release.
“Sometimes, release looks like a sledgehammer, not a spa day,” Calm shared in a statement. “Research shows short bursts of expression can lower stress hormones and boost emotional resilience.”
Even comedian Ilana Glazer — known for her leading role in “Broad City” and the mom-com movie “Babes” — is getting in on the action. The actress led the first rage room event in New York City, joining other moms in what Calm calls “moments of honest release.”
“Motherhood cracked me open in ways I didn’t expect. Some days I’m holding it down like a boss; other days I’m just holding on! What keeps me grounded isn’t some perfect routine; it’s the people who remind me I don’t have to do it all alone,” Glazer said in a statement.
She added that through Not Calm Moms, “we’re going to build a space where moms can show up messy, in all of our different feelings, and feel supported.”
For moms — which Calm emphasized includes anyone who identifies with the term “mom” — who don’t live in these rage room-friendly cities, Calm will also be offering free in-app resources, led by social media personality Caitlin Murray (@BigTimeAdulting).
These include a Moods Menu, Moments of Calm narrated by Murray and Wallace, a new Reddit community for peer support, and more. The app will also offer playlists for DIY at-home rage sessions, and digital mantra cards especially designed for overwhelmed moms.
With an estimated 17 million millennial moms who face growing rates of postpartum anxiety and the modern, daily pressures of parenting and working, the app hopes to be a long-term resource.
“Being a mom has been the most fulfilling — and the most exhausting — experience of my life. It really does take a village,” California Surgeon General Dr. Diana E. Ramos said in a statement for the initiative.
“Every mom deserves support, love, and the reassurance that it’s okay to need help, especially when it comes to mental health. What matters most is knowing you’re not alone. Let’s break the stigma and uplift each other — because when we support moms, we help their babies and families thrive.”
Sign up for a free rage room experience by visiting Calm’s website or filling out this form.
Header image courtesy of Calm
