Whether you’re 7 or 70, or anywhere in between, there’s a good chance you have to deal with frustration of a regular basis. It might be due to waiting in line, getting a flat tire, dealing with bills, or someone not behaving the way you’d like.
Frustration occurs when life isn’t going the way we’d like. Considering how little control we have over most of the things that frustrate us, it’s not surprising that we frequently feel frustrated.
Use this process to overcome your frustration:
- See frustration with yourself as a positive sign. If you’re frustrated with yourself, it means that you believe you should be doing better. Be glad that you’re frustrated. If you weren’t frustrated at all, you’d be doomed to continue living your current life.
- Think about the things you’ve intentionally changed in your life. Odds are that you were frustrated before you were motivated to change.
- For example, if you’re frustrated because you’re stuck in a traffic jam, there’s not much you can’t do if you can’t fly. Take a few deep breaths and try to think about something funny or that makes you happy. Realize that this is just part of life. Relax your neck and shoulders and wait it out.
- If you can control it, there’s no reason to be upset. What can you do to fix it?
- Just ensure that the solution isn’t more hassle than it’s worth. Sometimes we get carried away and spend too many resources on a solution. It might be easier to toughen up a little bit and just deal with feeling frustrated.
- Ask yourself why the annoying situation happened and whether or not you can put preventative measures in place. It might be as simple as vowing to never go shopping again during rush hour.
Feeling frustrated? Life doesn’t always go exactly according to plan.
Find a solution to your frustration whenever possible and begin taking actions that will help to resolve the situation. Just starting those actions will help reduce your frustration.
If you can’t do anything to help resolve the situation, try to be as happy and relaxed as possible while you get through it. Find stress-relieving methods that work for you.
Remember: You may not be able to control the event, but you do have control over your frustration level! If you ever have any questions about this or would like additional help, please don’t hesitate to contact me at TriStarKarate.com or you can call me at 815-932-5425