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What Do I Do When I’m Frustrated?

Written by Do I Editorial

The 21st century presents numerous opportunities and choices on how we can lead our life. The one negative thing these choices do is spoil us. We get so accustomed to having a plethora of options to choose from in our daily life that when the occasion comes to settle for something, we can’t. That’s probably where anger and stress come into the picture.

Frustrations are a part and parcel of daily life but that doesn’t mean we have to accept them to be so. We expect things to happen a certain way, but we get agitated when they don’t.  It’s this agitation that does more harm than good. The solitary way to avoid getting frustrated with simple things is to bring about a change in perspective. Here are 5 simple ways to deal with and to avoid frustrations.

1. Calm yourself – The first thing to do when you feel frustrated is to try and calm yourself down. It’s been said numerous times, but slowly counting backwards from 10 to 1 (50 to 1 if you’re more restless) works great to soothe the nerves. You’ll be in a position to think clearly when you do this, and you may be able to come up with a solution to the problem at hand.

2. Stress freeing activities – Stress relieving activities like meditation, games, and walks or concentrating on a hobby will not only help deal with frustration but also help avoid them to begin with. It has been scientifically proven that people who indulge in stress relief activities tend to be less reactive to stress stimulators. When you feel a bout of frustration coming on, immediately concentrate on doing something you love.

3. Identify the cause – Sometimes, the toughest thing to do when you’re annoyed is to figure out why you reached that stage in the first place. You’re not thinking straight at this point and you can barely say a word without yelling it out. In such instances, shifting your focus to the identification of the frustration factor may help. There is no better time to do this than when you’re actually frustrated! So try to recall how and why you got upset and think of a clear way to resolve it. Chances are you’d have cooled down by the time you arrive at a conclusion, and the entire exercise will seem unnecessary!

4. Share your issues – Talking to a close one about your frustrations is a great way to relieve yourself of the stress you’re encountering. If you feel like you could get annoyed further if you do this, writing about it is an alternative. If this doesn’t help either, buy a punching bag! Whatever you do, ensure you don’t vent your anger on another person. Not everyone will understand your issues.

5. Look at the bright side – Remember that everything has an upside and you’re probably looking at only the downside. Think of the glass as half full and look at all the positive things the ugly situation has taught you. You’ll probably come out of this a stronger person and be better prepared the next time a similar situation arises.

Visual Courtesy: http://www.flickr.com/photos/dearmax/