Frustration is common in our society and it’s easy to be frustrated with things we don’t like or disagree with at some point in our lives. In the year 2020 and some parts of 2021, we often see the word “canceled” or “postponed.” It is easy to think negatively and want to argue with the person in charge of the cancelation, but arguing sometimes isn’t always helpful and could make it even worse, depending on the situation. The best way to handle these issues is to remain calm and understand their reasoning. Yes, having an event you were looking forward to attending but ended up being canceled can lead you to feel angry, but that will not make things any better. Of course, it is important to know we have our right to speak out, but you can only do so much, especially when it’s out of your control.
Frustration can also occur when we grow up. When we go through our teenage years, we feel too old to be a kid but we’re too young to be an adult. We’re at this stage where we just want to graduate high school and move on. I know some teens don’t feel that way, but most do, including me (when I was in high school). As teenagers, we often want to be with friends most of the time and be independent in our life choices, knowing we have everything under control. I was like that in high school, and I felt that every time my aunt told me no when I wanted to go out, I thought she didn’t want me to have fun. But in reality, she wanted me to be safe and know what was best for me. For example, a couple of times, I wanted to be with my friends late at night, but my aunt said no because it was too late and it was a school night. I felt frustrated at the time and didn’t understand why I couldn’t go. Now I realize it was to make sure I felt good going to school the next day. In similar situations in college, I stood up late before an 8 am class and ended up being more exhausted than usual. That taught me an important lesson, even though I had gotten frustrated with my aunt for not going out late, I understood it was for my well-being so I could be well-rested the next day. Now, I am currently 20 years old, and I still struggle to sleep early enough before busy days, but I know, from my aunt, and from personal experience, to be well-rested so I can be successful the following day.
This lesson can go with any general situation, like following orders from your boss at work or your professor during class. Sometimes, our professors give us tips in knowing what to study for an important exam, and we often can ignore it or not listen to what they’re saying. The same goes for friendships. When we are frustrated about something that we cannot control, it’s easy to turn away from people thinking we would want time for ourselves, but in reality, it’s essential to have others around us know what’s best. Not saying you shouldn’t have time to be alone, but not for long. Isolating yourself longer will lead to more bad decisions and less strategic thinking.
There may also be instances where we cannot think clearly because of a lack of sleep. Being tired can lead to frustration very seamlessly because the body needs to rest and could have us struggling in thinking properly, especially after a long day. Sometimes being tired can lead to arguments with others around you, but arguing will not help. The best way to communicate is to talk to them patiently and put ourselves in their perspective. They may not know how tiring our day was and having to hear our frustration is not going to make it any easier to communicate. It’s not always easy to talk to others when you are exhausted but we need to understand people don’t know where we’ve been through and it’s important for them to understand how we feel by talking to them calmly.
Life is not always perfect, but to deal with an imperfect world, we have to make the right decisions and not be as frustrated. It’s not easy to control our frustration, and often, it can be almost impossible. But having people around us who care is worth talking to when we feel aggravated or angry. Of course, there will be things we’ll be annoyed at, but it’s important to set aside that reaction and place yourself in a positive mindset. It is also good to turn to God and know that He will help us and focus on Him in everything we do. He knows we can be frustrated at times, but having our focus on Him will lead us to our true happiness and fulfillment. As long as we keep having God as our number one priority, we will be at peace.
Frustration can also occur when we grow up. When we go through our teenage years, we feel too old to be a kid but we’re too young to be an adult. We’re at this stage where we just want to graduate high school and move on. I know some teens don’t feel that way, but most do, including me (when I was in high school). As teenagers, we often want to be with friends most of the time and be independent in our life choices, knowing we have everything under control. I was like that in high school, and I felt that every time my aunt told me no when I wanted to go out, I thought she didn’t want me to have fun. But in reality, she wanted me to be safe and know what was best for me. For example, a couple of times, I wanted to be with my friends late at night, but my aunt said no because it was too late and it was a school night. I felt frustrated at the time and didn’t understand why I couldn’t go. Now I realize it was to make sure I felt good going to school the next day. In similar situations in college, I stood up late before an 8 am class and ended up being more exhausted than usual. That taught me an important lesson, even though I had gotten frustrated with my aunt for not going out late, I understood it was for my well-being so I could be well-rested the next day. Now, I am currently 20 years old, and I still struggle to sleep early enough before busy days, but I know, from my aunt, and from personal experience, to be well-rested so I can be successful the following day.
This lesson can go with any general situation, like following orders from your boss at work or your professor during class. Sometimes, our professors give us tips in knowing what to study for an important exam, and we often can ignore it or not listen to what they’re saying. The same goes for friendships. When we are frustrated about something that we cannot control, it’s easy to turn away from people thinking we would want time for ourselves, but in reality, it’s essential to have others around us know what’s best. Not saying you shouldn’t have time to be alone, but not for long. Isolating yourself longer will lead to more bad decisions and less strategic thinking.
There may also be instances where we cannot think clearly because of a lack of sleep. Being tired can lead to frustration very seamlessly because the body needs to rest and could have us struggling in thinking properly, especially after a long day. Sometimes being tired can lead to arguments with others around you, but arguing will not help. The best way to communicate is to talk to them patiently and put ourselves in their perspective. They may not know how tiring our day was and having to hear our frustration is not going to make it any easier to communicate. It’s not always easy to talk to others when you are exhausted but we need to understand people don’t know where we’ve been through and it’s important for them to understand how we feel by talking to them calmly.
Life is not always perfect, but to deal with an imperfect world, we have to make the right decisions and not be as frustrated. It’s not easy to control our frustration, and often, it can be almost impossible. But having people around us who care is worth talking to when we feel aggravated or angry. Of course, there will be things we’ll be annoyed at, but it’s important to set aside that reaction and place yourself in a positive mindset. It is also good to turn to God and know that He will help us and focus on Him in everything we do. He knows we can be frustrated at times, but having our focus on Him will lead us to our true happiness and fulfillment. As long as we keep having God as our number one priority, we will be at peace.