How to Reduce Frustration in Your Life (with Pictures)

2024 Author: Jason Gerald | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 10:50

Frustration is an emotional response that arises when we face, or feel faced with, opposition. Frustration can come from inside or outside of us, and no one is immune to the negative effects of feeling defeated, unsupported, or opposed by “the whole world.” Fortunately, however, there are a number of things that can be done to reduce frustration in our daily lives, namely changing attitudes to become more accepting and realistic, understanding and reorganizing the source of frustration, and learning relaxation techniques to achieve conditions that allow for various changes. this.

Step

Part 1 of 2: Understanding and Preventing Frustration in Daily Life

Step 1. Measure your frustration level

To find out if you're experiencing more than normal frustration, answer the following questions. You may be experiencing extreme frustration, and if that's the case, taking anger control therapy or training may be an option.

• Are you usually irritable now?
• Do you usually respond to frustration by blaming or scolding others?
• Are you trying to "cure" your anxiety with alcohol, drugs, or overeating?
• Do you often hurt other people's feelings in response to frustration?
• Do you tend to feel misunderstood after the frustrating “episode” has passed?
• Do you often lose self-control in the midst of a strenuous workday or school activity?
• When you feel down, do you also feel that life is no longer possible or that you are not worth living?

Step 2. Identify potential sources of frustration

Take time to think or write about the potential sources of frustration in your life. Be as specific as possible about the things that frustrate you, such as a coworker or classmate that you think frustrates you, or even something someone said or did. Try to consider whether or not the source of this frustration is within your control. For example, of course you can't control the other person's point of view, but you can control whether or not you engage in conversation with that person.

• This will help you understand and accept these things in the long term, so that you will be able to deal with them more patiently.
• Alternatively, you may find that certain frustrations can be avoided altogether. For example, if you usually pass a short but congested and congested traffic route to get home from work, you may choose to switch to a longer route to avoid congestion.

Step 3. Deal with the source of your frustration with care

Frustration is not always wrong, and it can be a reasonable response to a difficult and very real problem in your life. However, frustration can build up if you believe that every problem must have a clear solution and that something is wrong with you if you don't manage to find that clear solution. Don't try to solve a problem with one solution forever, but focus on developing an attitude that works for finding a solution. Understand why the problem is happening in your life, and be open to dealing with it and learning from it.

Understanding that the source of your frustration may not have a very clear solution will help you stay open to dealing with your frustration without venting it. For example, you might think twice before quitting your job because the printer at the office is always stuck

Step 4. Understand your natural rhythm

Timing is everything, especially in the face of frustration. Often times, we are faced with something that we are perfectly capable of handling, but not now. Take the time to notice shifts in your energy levels throughout the day. You may notice that you tend to be effective at handling serious things in the morning, but are too tired to handle bills or make important decisions in the afternoon. Avoid frustration by doing each thing at the right energy level for it.

Step 5. Make a schedule for yourself

Having a few routines can help your day to be less affected by sudden changes. This reduces frustration because it eliminates the new stuff you have to deal with on a regular basis. Especially if your usual source of frustration has to do with managing daily tasks, being late, or not having enough time, try to stick to a schedule.

• Include things you have to “go to” as a rule of thumb, such as going to work or picking up a child from school. Next, incorporate other plans such as paying bills, shopping, and exercising in the morning, around that benchmark schedule.
• Don't let yourself stress out trying to fit “everything” into your schedule. Instead, set a few hours of the day that are usually unplanned to better manage time. Frustration will be less when minor annoyances such as traffic jams or hassles at the bank have their own time allocation in your schedule.

Step 6. Sort out your “opponents”

Frustration is also caused by trying to organize and change things that don't really matter. When you are about to make certain changes or treatments to make something more to your liking, ask yourself if it will still matter the next day (or the next week, or the next year). Usually, those situations can easily be forgotten and ignored.

Maybe you should also ask yourself if you really care about this frustrating situation. If it doesn't relate to your more basic principles, then you may be trying to tackle it just because you want to, not because you need to. If so, just laugh at yourself and forget about it

Step 7. Refine your communication

In times of frustration, you are not the only one bearing the weight of negative thoughts and judgments. People around you are also at risk of getting caught up in your bad mood. If you are in a conversation during a time of frustration, take a moment to rethink your words. Ask yourself if your spontaneous thoughts are appropriate (for example, "Why are you so stupid?"). Words like this will only make the frustration rise and spread.

• Listen carefully to what the other person is saying, and try to understand why. Keep this understanding in mind as you answer/talk yourself, so that you show an understanding rather than judgmental attitude.
• For example, if you're frustrated that your roommate never does the dishes, just ask him this without judging him. Find out if he is aware of the shared responsibility at home to do the dishes and if he has any particular barriers to doing so. This will make the process of talking and negotiating much more peaceful, without you having to accuse him of being lazy (because your frustration is right there).

Step 8. Channel your frustration in a healthy way

If you're having a hard time coming to terms with and accepting things, because these things take time, just let your frustrations out in a way that doesn't harm yourself or anyone else. Yelling on the pillow or banging on the pillow can be done until you are exhausted. Sometimes frustration can be handled more effectively by expressing anger instead of trying to defuse it. So, trust that the frustration will pass as you let it out instead of manipulating or suppressing it.

Do this if the frustration persists, or if you can't do anything to change the situation that's causing the frustration. Make sure that you're in a safe place, so that other people won't feel scared or intimidated by channeling your frustration

Part 2 of 2: Changing Attitudes to Reduce Frustration

Step 1. Accept the frustration

Frustration builds up and peaks when we become frustrated with the frustration itself. When you feel frustrated, try to observe the feeling without negative or bad judgment or dismissing it as a feeling you shouldn't have. Don't judge yourself, just accept the feeling. Don't try to avoid or change it either. Practicing acceptance means letting your instinctive response to frustration out, and learning to accept whatever experience comes as a result.

• As soon as you accept your frustration, you have the self-control to know what action you can take (if any) to address the source of that frustration.
• If you try to ignore your frustration, it will only get worse. You will be trapped in a vicious circle as the source of frustration grows and becomes more and more important.
• Tell yourself that taking your frustration out on yourself and others won't solve any problems, but will only make it worse. Anger is like an adult tantrum, not producing a solution but just showing everyone that you feel angry and uncomfortable. This is useless, because only you are responsible for calming yourself down.

Step 2.

Get rid of unrealistic expectations.

We often feel frustrated when we try to live up to unrealistic expectations of ourselves and of others. There is a strong tendency in us that the situation should work out as we imagine, and then we become frustrated when reality turns out to be different from our expectations, even though this phenomenon has happened many times. Ask yourself if you have high expectations or have perfectionist tendencies. This is very likely if your frustration arises when you are disappointed or angry because of the results or reality that emerged.

• Ask yourself if something is "good enough". Frustration usually goes away once you make a conscious decision to stop pushing something. Let the situation go as it is and don't try to control it, remembering that you can only change your own response, not the behavior of others.
• Then change your mind from expectations to reality, focusing on the good things that are happening, not your expectations that didn't happen.
• If you have certain expectations that you're particularly looking forward to, such as "my date should pay more attention to me than her work," remind yourself that your expectations may not be met by everyone. Then, you can make the decision to either accept that person as your date or boyfriend, or to indulge your frustrations and find someone who is more up to your expectations.

Find and change useless mindsets. Highly frustrated people tend to be harsh and tense. This shows the existence of confused and exaggerated thoughts, which are not in accordance with the actual reality. Try to replace these thoughts with more rational thoughts that can help you deal with and control your frustration.

• For example, if you're tempted to say, "Oh, this is terrible, it's all ruined… I'm such a cursed child!", counter this thought by telling yourself, "This has been a difficult and frustrating experience indeed. I am disappointed now, but this disappointment will disappear later.”
• While it may sound very true, remember that you are not being antagonized by the rest of the world. In fact, your frustration is most likely because the world is not aware of your expectations and goals. This truth can be something for which you are actually grateful, if you realize that when reality differs from your desires, you actually get a chance to learn (or at least try something new that you haven't tried before).

Cheer up your heart with humor. The funny side of frustration is that as soon as you step away and use the right perspective, the problem is actually funny! While in the process of accepting the situation as it is, while noticing that the problem is not as serious as you thought, just laugh at yourself. Think how funny it is that moments before you were overly concerned about something so trivial.

Be grateful. Frustration usually makes you find the wrong side of things and focus on the obstacles that arise, so gratitude can be a powerful medicine. When you start to feel frustrated, refocus on reminding yourself of the things you appreciate in that person or aspects of the situation. This is a very effective way of reducing frustration with someone you love, because that person is in your life because of the qualities you value/love.

• In cases of impersonal frustration, such as long lines at the supermarket, focus on how close the supermarket is to your home, how many choices there are, and that you can afford nutritious food at the supermarket.
• To be grateful, clearly imagine the worst consequences of your frustration. If you want to stop the supermarket from operating or you want to cut ties with the person who frustrates you, you need to quickly think of reasons why you don't really want that. These reasons are the qualities or virtues that you are actually grateful for.

Find peace in the little things. It's hard to get frustrated when you're admiring the beautiful things in life. Frustration passes quickly once we take control of ourselves, so just take your time to admire the outdoors, enjoy a delicious meal, or listen to relaxing music. Use your favorite things to distract yourself as a mood-boosting tool while you let your frustrations out in a healthy way and cherish the moment.

Learn Stress Control Techniques

1. Breathe deeply. Don't breathe through your chest (i.e. inhale with your shoulders up), but try to breathe using your diaphragm. Imagine that your breath rises from your stomach and expands the air sacs around your waist. Breathing this way regularly, especially during times of stress, will reduce frustration by calming you down so you can face the real source of your frustration.

   

   Doing yoga, which are movements that are meant to practice deep breathing and relieve tension, is also a great way to ensure that you always have good muscle calm and relaxation

2. Exercise. One of the main factors that cause us to be easily frustrated is the accumulation of energy in the body that is not channeled. If your frustration is greater than the cause itself, you may need to exercise regularly. Regular exercise is useful for boosting mood and channeling the body's energy so that you can deal with various situations more appropriately, not with the responses that arise from excessive piles of energy that should be channeled in the form of activity.

   

   Try cardiovascular exercise, such as running, swimming, or cycling, in addition to light weight lifting

3. Use visualization. Visualization is a relaxation technique that involves forming mental images to create a feeling of being in a quiet and peaceful place. The key to visualizing that has a relaxing effect is to engage as many senses as possible (sight, hearing, touch, and smell). To do this, choose a quiet corner where you won't be disturbed. Your body should also be in a relaxed position, like in meditation.

   

   For example, if you imagine a large meadow, try feeling the grass with your feet, smelling the scent of trees, and hearing birds squeak as they fly through the trees

4. Learn progressive muscle relaxation techniques. This technique is done by tensing and relaxing each muscle part. One way to do a progressive muscle relaxation technique is to work from the bottom to the top of your body, tensing and relaxing each muscle area from your toes to your neck and head. Tense the muscle for about five seconds, then relax again for another 30 seconds. Repeat this pattern until you have worked all the muscles in your body from the bottom up (or from the top down, as you choose).

   

   This technique will help you identify when your muscles are tense and when they are relaxed. This is an added bonus because you can now tell when you are really tense and are able to relax your muscles to relax again and adjust your activities accordingly

5. Take some time off from the computer. Many of our frustrations in modern times arise because we spend too much time interacting with machines that cannot respond empathically to our feelings. If your daily life involves constant computer use, try to take time off and reduce computer use whenever possible.

   

   Especially in terms of socializing, face-to-face, when compared to communicating online, will simplify the communication process and increase gratitude almost automatically. Balance your busy life on social media with classic fun together with loved ones

6. Schedule private time. Another source of frustration that is usually overlooked is the lack of personal time for yourself. At the very least, scheduling some personal time will give you the opportunity to learn and apply relaxation techniques. Take a look at your agenda and try to find some free time that you can enjoy alone. Two hours is the ideal duration. Enjoy this private time to do activities that you really enjoy, which are not easy for you to do on other days or other weeks because you are busy with other activities.

   

   If you have artistic or creative hobbies, such as drawing, sculpting, songwriting, or cooking, try to find time to do these activities. Creative activities help you to get to know yourself more deeply

   1. https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/emotional-freedom/201202/4-tips-deal-frustrating-people
   2. https://www.apa.org/topics/anger/control.aspx
   3. https://www.pbs.org/thisemotionallife/topic/anger/helping-yourself-others
   4. https://psychcentral.com/news/2015/04/06/unconscious-priming-of-accepting-attitude-best-method-to-reduce-frustrations/83198.html
   5. https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/happiness-in-world/201202/how-manage-frustration
   6. https://www.pbs.org/thisemotionallife/topic/anger/helping-yourself-others
   7. https://www.apa.org/topics/anger/control.aspx
   8. https://www.pbs.org/thisemotionallife/topic/anger/helping-yourself-others
   9. https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/happiness-in-world/201202/how-manage-frustration
   10. https://www.apa.org/topics/anger/control.aspx
   11. https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/stress-management/in-depth/relaxation-technique/art-20045368
   12. https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/stress-management/in-depth/relaxation-technique/art-20045368

   13. https://iwc.oxfordjournals.org/content/18/2/227.short