Frustration is a double edged sword. If ignored or treated with carelessness, it can destroy you. If taken seriously, it can propel you to make the necessary changes in your life. That is what frustration is: the pre-tremor before the earthquake of change.

Many people simply view frustration as something negative to be avoided. Not so. Ignoring frustration causes it to build. When frustration is ignored, it has a way of changing us. Take the following scenario for example:

You are frustrated with your job. Someone else just got laid off, and you are pulling double duty for no additional pay. You try to explain that it is too much work for you to do adequately, but your manager tells you they simply don’t have the money to hire someone new, and they need the work done.

So you become frustrated. You want to keep your job, but no matter how hard you work you don’t get anything extra out of it. Pretty soon you stop caring, and your performance begins to slide. There are only two possible outcomes: you get fired or you quit.

The longer you ignore your frustration, the worse your options become. If you recognize your frustration and accept it soon, you can begin making the proper steps to improve your life. You can put out your resume and start looking for a better job. You can speak with the owners of the company to try and find a better situation. You can put in for a transfer.

However, if you wait until you are at a breaking point hoping things will get better, the situation can get ugly. One day, after weeks of showing up late and calling in sick, your boss gets fed up and shows you the door. Now you are unemployed and you probably aren’t going to get a very good recommendation. Or you wait until the silent rage explodes and quit in a spectacle of thrown paper and profanity. Also, you probably are not going to get a good recommendation.

Frustration is the check engine light of your wellbeing. It is one of the first indications that your situation cannot go on indefinitely. If you know that your situation is temporary, say you are pulling in some overtime so you can go on vacation, you can alleviate your frustration by putting it into perspective. However, if you feel like you can’t change your situation no matter what you do, you need to examine every option. The situation will change, whether you want it to or not.

Additional Resources

33 Ways to Overcome Frustration: http://www.dragosroua.com/33-ways-to-overcome-frustration/

The New York Times Educated, Unemployed and Frustrated: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/21/opinion/21klein.html

ABC News What Is the Difference between Stress and Frustration: http://abcnews.go.com/Health/HeartDiseaseLivingWith/story?id=4217855

Life With Confidence Frustration: http://www.life-with-confidence.com/frustration.html

Pathway to Happiness Frustrations at Work: http://www.pathwaytohappiness.com/writings-work.htm

Web MD Prescriptions for Sexual Frustration: http://men.webmd.com/guide/prescriptions-sexual-frustration

Psychology Today Marriage and Sexual Frustrations: http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/%5Bfield_blog_ref-title-raw%5D/201109/marriage-and-sexual-frustrations-inevitable-or-solvable

Frustration Aggression Theory: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oe8PJ8rVV0M