5 Ways to Decrease Frustration When Things Don’t Go Your Way

We’ve all been there.  You make plans, you set an appointment, you set aside time for a certain thing and then CRAP! The thing doesn’t happen.  The friend cancels, the appointment get rescheduled, something got miscommunicated and you are left hanging.   Annoyance might engulf you.  Perhaps frustration, sadness, anger, or even rage depending on how much you had invested into the event.  Can I offer some help to decrease your frustration and turn your anger into maybe, say a minor annoyance?

  1. Acknowledge that things happen.  Nothing always goes according to plan all of the time.  These types of hiccups are the stuff that life is made of.  The more you get used to things just happened, the less angry you will be when they do.
  2. Have a plan B.  Put a list together of things that you would like to do if plans were to get canceled.  Some of the following might get your list off to a good start: read a book or magazine, run some errands, spend some time praying or meditating, finish up some work you have been procrastinating on, call a friend, check on someone you haven’t talked to in a while, do something nice spontaneously for someone else.
  3. Get real with your feelings.  Is this frustration a symptom of a deeper issue?  Perhaps at the root there are unresolved issues that you haven’t yet dealt with.  For example, an overarching sense of rejection that gets tapped into when plans fall through.
  4. Exercise.  If you are frustrated or angry, you now have extra energy.  You could turn that energy into momentum to jumpstart a 10 to 30 minute workout.
  5. Communicate.  If this type of thing keeps happening with the same person, same office, same group, then consider communicating your thoughts and feelings about it.  You may keep getting mad or grow callous toward the folks involved in the situation.



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