What to Do When You're Frustrated

"The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry." 
- Robert Burns

FRUSTRATION:
- a feeling of anger or annoyance caused by being unable to do something; the state of being frustrated
- a deep, chronic sense or state of insecurity and dissatisfaction arising from unresolved problems or unfulfilled needs

Have you ever felt like this..?

Things you planned didn't work out the way you expected. You're annoyed, irritated, upset, just plain mad and you don't know who you should be mad at.

You want to yell but there's no one around to hear you. You want to vent but nobody wants to listen. You want to bang your head against the nearest wall but you don't want to hurt yourself, and there's no wall around, anyway. 

Like Charlie Brown would say...AAUUGH..!!!

Let's face it, things go wrong when you least expect it, that's a fact of life. A big disappointment or a major letdown makes no difference. It feels just as bad. 

When these things happen we all want to crawl into a fetal position, sit in a corner, suck our thumb, and just plain feel sorry for ourselves because life's "unfair." We can feel like everything is against us, that nothing is ever going to work out right for us again. 

All hope is lost, or it's gone completely, never to return.  At least that's the way things seem.

Not only that, you can feel distracted along with being upset. When your plans don't work out it can be very easy to get off track. You can get so turned around you don't know which way is up.

You want to do something but you don't know what to do, where to begin, what should happen first. You want to get started but you feel like unless you do everything all at once, you haven't accomplished anything. 

All you know is that you want to get rid of that helpless feeling you're experiencing, and you want to do it fast. Like five minutes ago...yesterday, if possible.

You don't know what to do first, but you know you want to accomplish something so you don't feel like you're wasting your time.

Rather than letting emotions overwhelm you to the point of feeling helpless, even powerless, keep some things in mind:

1. Recognize that everybody experiences what you're going through at some point in their lives. It is common to all...

"Be still, sad heart! and cease repining
Behind the clouds is the sun still shining
Thy fate is the common fate of all,
Into each life some rain must fall,
Some days must be dark and dreary."
- Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

2. Do something on your "to do" list. Take a positive step, no matter how small, so long as you move forward. Slow progress is still progress. Don't beat yourself up because you're not moving as fast as you think you "should." 

At this point nothing's more important on your list than anything else; just find something to do...and DO IT!  GET GOING..!!!

3. Look at your setbacks differently. They may not be all that discouraging after all. What you thought was a roadblock may really be a detour. Who knows that it could be a turn in the direction you really need to go, and you just don't see it that way yet. 

Just because you get down emotionally from time to time doesn't mean you have to stay down. Get back to your feet, keep your chin up, and stay focused on your mission.

And before long you can look at your problems just like B.J. Thomas did back in the day, call yourself free, and say in your heart,

Nothing's worrying me...

That's all for now, gotta run. Until next time, remember:

Keep it simple... See ya!