How to deal with Frustration
Step 1: Be here now. When you are frustrated then you are often somewhere in the future in your mind. Somewhere you wish you would be. Or you are reliving a stumble or failure from your past. Snap out of those headspaces and calm down by focusing your mind and attention on what is now, right here at this moment. I usually do that by focusing 100% for 1-2 minutes on my breathing or on what is around me at this very moment with all my senses. Step 2: Appreciate what you do have. After you’ve pulled your attention back to where it can be most helpful focus it on what is still positive in your life. The quickest and easiest way to do so is to focus it on appreciating what you do have. And a favorite of mine during this step is the important things I sometimes take for granted. Like a warm home and a roof over my head, plenty of drinkable water and not having to go hungry. Step 3: Focus on what you can do right now. With your attention in the present moment and your mood a more grateful and positive one it’s now time to get constructive about what frustrates you. You can do that by asking yourself: What’s one small step I can take right now to improve this situation? It may be to see what you can learn from what frustrates you and to try another path towards your goal. Or it could be to try one more time and to keep going (because not all things in life will come to you the first, second or third time you try). Both of these things helped me to move forward, away from frustration and towards where I’m now at the end of the week: pretty satisfied with how things worked out with my technical challenges and frustrations. henrik@positivityblog.com