Handling Frustration

Asking people, “Do you ever get frustrated?” is a bit like asking, “Do you enjoy breathing?”

Usually, frustrations come from little things. Irritable things. Small things. Get-under-your-skin things.

If it’s something bigger, it usually moves from frustration to those parts of life that are truly worrisome, and that are areas of life in which we should be legitimately concerned.

However, how do we handle those frustrating parts of our lives? Here are 5 quick suggestions.

1. Keep calm.  Far too often, we let little irritants cause us to blow our top or lose our cool or fly off the handle (how’s that for a list of metaphors?). We never need to let frustrations cause us to lose control of our temper or faculties.

2. Speak up, calmly. Sometimes, it is the actions of another that frustrate us, but we never say anything. We need to speak up, but (again) we do not need to lose control of our actions. Say in a clear but kind way that this is bothersome to you.

3. It is usually helpful to explain why, too. For example, it is frustrating to me when people are habitually late, so I try to tell them that I hold to the belief that being in time is a sign of politeness.

4. Don’t let it build up. If you know something is frustrating to you, say something right from the start. Or, get out of the situation right away.

5. Pray for more patience. Let’s be honest: sometimes we are frustrated because we lack the proper level of patience. Jesus had to be frustrated with His apostles (several times, in fact), but He continually taught them and loved them.

What would you add to the list? What helps you handle frustrations in life?

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Photo credit: Bev Sykes on creative commons

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