We all have moments when we get frustrated. All of us. No one is immune to this. As human beings it’s only normal to feel this way from time to time. Even I sometimes feel this way. The key to when we are feeling this is knowing how to manage this emotion. Notice that I didn’t say “control this emotion”. To me, the sound of “control this emotion” it’s as if there is something wrong with feeling this way. It’s not the feeling that is wrong, it’s our reaction because of this feeling that makes it wrong in terms of if we do something to hurt others or ourselves, this is wrong.
I believe every emotion exists for a reason. You don’t just feel things just to feel them. Just like a thermometer is a tool to measure the body’s temperature, your emotions can be a tool to measure where you are spiritually and in life. With this said, feeling frustrated doesn’t have to be a bad thing. It can actually work to your favor for you to start figuring out something that perhaps you have been neglecting for a while and it is now manifesting itself through frustration.
It is important to know that part of well-being is knowing how to manage your emotions. Proper management of your emotions is key to adding more well-being into your life. Whenever you have a moment where you can’t afford to be frustrated or even show frustration, start by taking a deep breath. This will help relax your body by activating the parasympathetic system which helps the body to calm down after a stressful event. Taking a deep breath also gives your brain more oxygen which will help you relax your mind.
Remind yourself that whatever got you frustrated is nothing in comparison to other things. There are times when we make certain things that may frustrate us bigger than what they actually are. It’s important to try to put things in perspective and realize that lots of times the things that frustrate us are not even worth our time.
Make a list of all the reasons that you have to be happy. If you have to write it down then do so and carry this list with you. If you’re not used to quickly shifting your mindset from frustrated to appreciative, carrying the list and looking at it when feeling frustrated will train your mind to look at all the good you have going on in your life.
When you do have time for yourself, question where that frustration came from. You will be amazed at how much you can learn about yourself if you pay attention to your emotions and get to know yourself.
Like I say often, we have to honor and respect our emotions because they are a part of us. Our emotions can reveal to us so much if we are open to it and frustration is definitely an emotion that we should not ignore nor deny since we can become a better person by learning from it.