Overcoming Frustration

All of us suffer with frustration, and being able to effectively cope with frustration is quite important for self improvement. It can be a decisive factor between success and failure.

Frustration can have highly damaging effect on the frame of mind. It can turn a positive individual to a negative person. It may inhibit our progress and, in the most extreme cases can completely immobilise us. We can get so wound up with our frustration that we can not think or act rationally, or we could even become competitive. Our frustration can often exacerbate the situation and create a vicious circle. If we're convinced that our actions aren't working, however hard we try, we're a lot more likely to reduce, rather than increase, our probability of success.

There are countless causes of frustration, and what affects one person may have no impact on somebody else. There are no simple answers or remedies. Some people simply give up on what they were hoping to achieve. Some folks walk away from the reason and move onto something else, and find they could then face the issue rationally when they return to it. Stepping back from the cause of the frustration and making yourself calm down will help us to see things more clearly.

Persistence and determination can often see us during our frustration, especially if we make ourselves calm down. Movement can help - standing up and taking a couple of deep breathes, or going for a walk can help clear our minds. Sometimes we might need to start looking for alternatives we had not considered before, or totally different strategies. There are occasions when we may be out of our depth, in which case we will need to recognise this, and be ready to request advice and support from experts that can help us.

All successful individuals have to manage loads of frustration as they progress towards their objectives, this might even be among the biggest reasons for their success. Their frustration with their poor results or lack of success might have been so good they were driven to establish goals and motivated to work hard at achieving them. They almost certainly learned approaches and methods to manage their frustrations, which enabled them to overcome their problems and be more effective, which definitely contributed to their success.