OBJECTIVE: To explore the effects of expression ways and traits of anger emotion on autonomic nerve in the emotion recovery stage. METHODS: The 48 healthy undergraduate students were recruited as subjects, who were assigned to four groups, i.e., anger-out of high trait group, anger-in of high trait group, anger-out of low trait group, anger-in of low trait group, 12 in each group. The changes of autonomic nerve in emotion recovery stage [mainly including heart rate (HR), finger pulse volume (FPV), heart rate variability (HRV), and galvanic skin response (GSR)] were observed in an experimental paradigm processed dynamically by emotion induction (by watching movie clips) and emotion regulation (by phraseology chewing and regulating body reaction to anger). RESULTS: In the emotion recovery stage all increased data of vegetative reactions decreased in the four groups. The decrease extent of HR, FPV, and GSR was lower in the anger-in groups than that in the anger-out groups (P < 0.05). The HRV showed a decreasing trend, but with no statistical significance (P > 0.05). The decrease extent of HR was lower in the low-anger groups than in the high-anger group (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Both expression ways and traits of anger exerted influence on the autonomic nerve in the emotion recovery stage. The former influenced more broadly. The influence of anger-in on the autonomic nerve would be more sustainable.