How to Deal With Frustration: 10 Tips

Learning how to deal with frustration can take time, but there are healthy ways to overcome feeling overwhelmed. Allowing your frustration to build up can lead to repressed anger, so releasing pent-up stress benefits your mental health. Developing coping skills, engaging in physical activity, and speaking with a professional are all tools that can help you better manage frustration.

6. Do Something That Brings You Joy

When frustration seems too intense to address directly, a distraction can help in the short term. Do something you enjoy, such as listening to music, watching a movie, or reading a book. This can help distance you from feelings of stress and overwhelm, allowing you to come back to that situation later with a more level head. Be careful though, as constantly distracting yourself from uncomfortable situations creates a habit of avoidance, which can lead to negative outcomes.

7. Pet an Animal

Petting or playing with a furry friend can often alleviate immediate feelings of frustration. Interacting with animals decreases levels of cortisol (a stress-related hormone) and lowers blood pressure, helping you to feel more relaxed and at peace.⁶ Spend some time with your dog, cat, lizard, or other pet. If you don’t have an animal companion at home, ask a friend who does if you can stop by.

8. Look for Solutions

When frustration hits, our tendency can be to fixate on the unfairness or injustice of it all. It’s easy to wallow in frustration, anger, and upset. Try reframing the situation as a learning experience or an opportunity to solve a problem. Instead of looking at the issues at hand, look for their solutions. You may uncover the reason why things didn’t work out, and identify better ways to succeed in the future. You may even find a way to remedy the situation you’re dealing with now.

9. Check Your Expectations (Are They Realistic?)

Sometimes things don’t go the way you thought they should. That doesn’t mean the world is working against you. It probably means your expectations were unrealistic. Checking on what unrealistic expectations you had in the first place can be one of the best ways to deal with frustration. Look at a situation and ask yourself, “What can I reasonably expect to happen here?” For example, if a promotional opportunity comes up at work, you may want to base your expectations on your annual performance, overall experience, and education.

10. Talk to a Therapist

Therapy can be extremely beneficial when dealing with frustration. It can teach you effective coping skills and help you understand some of the underlying reasons for frustration, as well as why it can have such an impact on your life. Many people who feel overwhelmed by or unable to control feelings of frustration wonder, “Do I really need therapy?” Therapy can lead to long-term beneficial changes that reduce frustration and other stressful emotions. Often, people will benefit from working with a therapist, even if they don’t have a diagnosable mental illness. The long-term advantages vastly outweigh the short-term financial costs.

Can Therapy Help Someone Deal With Frustration?

Therapy not only helps you manage and overcome frustrations, but it also helps you pinpoint the underlying reasons for these feelings. Everyone can potentially benefit from therapy because it equips them with the tools needed to cope with uncomfortable emotions and promotes well-being. If you’re ready to choose a therapist, start by browsing an online therapist directory.

Final Thoughts

Frustration can be difficult to cope with, but there are many positive ways to handle this emotion and move forward. Focus on the things that allow you to level your head and address the situation rationally. Of course, talk to a professional if frustration becomes overwhelming or happens more often than you would like.

How to Deal With Frustration Infographics