How to Deal With Frustration

Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsSigns of FrustrationCausesEffectsHow to Deal With FrustrationFrequently Asked Questions

Table of ContentsView All

View All

Table of Contents

Signs of Frustration

Causes

Effects

How to Deal With Frustration

Frequently Asked Questions

Frustration is a type of emotional reaction to stress. It’s common to have this feeling when you encounter daily stressors at home, at school, at work, and in relationships.

For example, you might get frustrated when your partner forgets to take care of an important errand, or you might become frustrated with yourself for how you responded to your partner’s mistake.

This frustration is often short-lived and tends to pass as the situation changes. But sometimes, such as when you find yourself falling short of your goals or aspirations, it can be longer-lasting and take a more serious toll on your health and well-being.

At a Glance

We all feel stressed and frustrated occasionally, but you don’t need to allow these feelings to take over your life. By managing your response to stress and frustration, you can reduce their impact and improve your overall well-being.

Frustration can show up in a number of different ways. While these expressions can vary from one person to the next, some of the common signs of frustration include:

It is also common for people to engage in physical actions to express feelings of frustration. They might sigh, frown, tap their feet, or engage in other repetitive body movements that express their feelings of annoyance and displeasure.

What Causes Frustration?

Frustration tends to happen when your goals or expectations don’t pan out. You might be engaging in an action or effort that doesn’t work as expected or produce the results that you wanted.

Common causes of frustrations include:

Internal vs. External Frustration

These sources of frustration can arise from either internal or external causes.

Effects of Frustration

In addition to the immediate symptoms of frustration such as irritability and annoyance, it can also have more lasting effects on your health and well-being.

Research suggests that after a frustrating event, people are left with a lingering mixture of emotions including anger, stress, sadness, and rage.

Frustration can also lead to other problems, including:

Stress

Stressand frustration are connected. Both of these feelings act on each other; feeling stressed can cause you to experience frustration, and frustrating situations often generate stress.

Stress can make you feel more emotionally reactive to events that normally wouldn’t bother you, and it can reduce yourtolerance for frustration. Small failures can seem much worse (and much more frustrating).Chronic stressmay cause you to feel like you’re not in control of your life, leading to further frustration and even depression.

Managing stress can help you alleviate feelings of frustration, and improving your tolerance for frustration may help lower your stress levels.

Stress and frustration act on each other in a variety of ways.Stress may cause you to feel like you don’t have the resources to overcome challenges, and feeling unable to reach your goals is a key component of frustration.

The ability to deal with frustration is known as frustration tolerance. Having a high frustration tolerance indicates that you can cope with challenges successfully, while a low tolerance means that you may feel distressed at minor inconveniences.

If you have alow tolerance for frustration, there are strategies you can use to improve the way you respond.Seeking professional treatmentis also a good option, especially if you’re experiencing an underlying condition or your low tolerance is causing negative consequences in your life.

Related ConditionsFeeling stressed, tired, or unsure of yourself in a new situation can reduce your frustration tolerance, as can certain conditions likeborderline personality disorder (BPD),autism, andattention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

Feeling stressed, tired, or unsure of yourself in a new situation can reduce your frustration tolerance, as can certain conditions likeborderline personality disorder (BPD),autism, andattention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

Improve Your Emotional Intelligence

Emotional intelligenceis linked with the ability to deal with frustration.Emotional intelligence is your capacity to notice and evaluate emotions in yourself and others, and your ability to regulate the way you express your feelings.

Distract Yourself

Fixating on the source of your frustration can actually worsen your feelings. Temporarily distracting yourself can give you the space you need to process.Choose an activity that you enjoy, like exercising, doing something creative, listening to music, or watching a movie.

It’s important not to let distraction become a pattern ofavoidance, however. You should eventually return to the source of your frustration and determine if there are any strategies you can use tosolve the problem.

Practice Mindfulness

Mindfulnessis the practice of being fully and nonjudgmentally aware of the present, noticing the sights, sounds, and smells around you, as well as the feelings and sensations within you. You canpractice mindfulness throughout the dayor as a form ofmeditation.

Staying mindful is a key component of dealing with frustration and stress, as you have to be aware of what you’re feeling before you can take steps to address the issue.

Mindfulness also encourages you to retain anattitude of acceptancerather than resistance or judgment, which can positively impact how you react to frustration.

Use Other Relaxation Techniques

If you find yourself feeling less patient, more frustrated, more emotional, and less able to handle stress, there are several things you can do to feel better. Together with improving your tolerance for frustration, managing your stress is also an important part of maintaining your health.

Stopping yourstress responseearly can help you to respond more calmly, instead of behaving in a way that you might regret.

Quick stress relievers such asbreathing exercisesorprogressive muscle relaxation, for example, can calm you down and help you feel less frustrated and more able to handle what comes.Be prepared with quick stress relievers to use next time you feel overwhelmed.

How to Calm Down Quickly: 9 Things You Can Do Right Now

Change Your Attitude

Much of whether or not we see something as stressful depends on our habitual thought patterns and how we process the world around us. For example, those who see things asunder their controltend to be less stressed about what happens to them, as they see that they always have options for change.

Optimismcarries health benefits and can lead to an improved sense of well-being.Developing an optimistic outlook andresilient state of mindmay help you feel less stressed and frustrated.

Change Your Lifestyle

If you feel like you’re continually on edge, it’s possible that something needs to change in your life. If you cut down on commitments,take good care of your body, and make otherhealthy lifestyle changes, you’ll be dealing with less overall stress and you’ll be more effective at managing what you do encounter.

Good nutrition, proper sleep, and regular exercise can work wonders on your stress levels.

Making time for leisure activities and creative expression is vital as well; downtime is not just a luxury, but a necessary aspect of a balanced lifestyle. Creative activities can be stress-relieving for artists and non-artists alike.

Try engaging in regular stress-relieving activities that fit your personality and lifestyle. Those who regularly walk, meditate, or enjoy other stress-relief activities tend to feel less stressed in general and less reactive to specificstressorsthat arise throughout the day.

If you don’t have someone you’re comfortable sharing your situation with, seeing a therapist or starting a regularjournalingpractice have benefits as well.

18 Effective Stress Relief Strategies

Solving the source of the problem is important, but relaxation strategies can help you deal with the frustration in the short-term. Activities such as journaling, exercise, and mindfulness can also be beneficial for relieving stress and improve your resilience.

Learn More:How to Cope With Sexual Frustration

Avoid behaviors like passive-aggressiveness, stonewalling, silent treatment, or angry verbal outbursts. Instead, focus on expressing your frustration using “I statements.” These statements explain how a situation is affecting your feelings while minimizing the potential for creating blame, shame, or defensiveness.Learn More:What Are “I Feel” Statements?

Learn More:What Are “I Feel” Statements?

14 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Karyotaki E, Cuijpers P, Albor Y, et al.Sources of stress and their associations with mental disorders among college students: Results of the World Health Organization World Mental Health Surveys International College Student Initiative.Front Psychol. 2020;11:1759. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2020.01759Bierzynska M, Bielecki M, Marchewka A, et al.Effect of frustration on brain activation pattern in subjects with different temperament.Front Psychol. 2016;6:1989. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2015.01989Zajenkowska A, Jasielska D, Melonowska J.Stress and sensitivity to frustration predicting depression among young adults in Poland and Korea - Psychological and philosophical explanations.Curr Psychol. 2019;38(3):769-774. doi:10.1007/s12144-017-9654-0Ayala EE, Winseman JS, Johnsen RD, Mason HRC.U.S. medical students who engage in self-care report less stress and higher quality of life.BMC Med Educ. 2018;18(1):189. doi:10.1186/s12909-018-1296-xJeronimus BF, Laceulle OM.Frustration. In: Zeigler-Hill V, Shackelford TK, eds.Encyclopedia of Personality and Individual Differences. Springer International Publishing; 2017:1-5. doi:10.1007/978-3-319-28099-8_815-1Maslach C, Leiter MP.Understanding the burnout experience: Recent research and its implications for psychiatry.World Psychiatry. 2016;15(2):103–111. doi:10.1002/wps.20311Kumari A, Gupta S.A study of emotional intelligence and frustration tolerance among adolescent.ARJSS.2015;6:173-180. doi:10.15740/HAS/ARJSS/6.2/173-180Vovk A, Emishyants O, Zelenko O, Maksymova N, Drobot O, Onufriieva L.Psychological features of experiences of frustration situations in youth age.IJSTR. 2020;9:920-924.Can YS, Iles-Smith H, Chalabianloo N, et al.How to relax in stressful situations: A smart stress reduction system.Healthcare (Basel). 2020;8(2):100. doi:10.3390/healthcare8020100Zhang J, Miao D, Sun Y, et al.The impacts of attributional styles and dispositional optimism on subject well-being: A structural equation modelling analysis.Soc Indic Res. 2014;119(2):757-769. doi:10.1007/s11205-013-0520-7Rossler W.Nutrition, sleep, physical exercise: Impact on mental health.Eur Psychiat. 2016;33(suppl):S12. doi:10.1016/j.eurpsy.2016.01.804Goyal M, Singh S, Sibinga EM, et al.Meditation programs for psychological stress and well-being: A systematic review and meta-analysis.JAMA Intern Med. 2014;174(3):357–368. doi:10.1001/jamainternmed.2013.13018Abdul Aziz NA, Baharudin NS, Alias NA.Association between Stress and Social Support Perceived among Undergraduate Health Sciences Student.Malays J Med Sci. 2023;30(3):176-183. doi:10.21315/mjms2023.30.3.16Smyth JM, Johnson JA, Auer BJ, Lehman E, Talamo G, Sciamanna CN.Online positive affect journaling in the improvement of mental distress and well-being in general medical patients with elevated anxiety symptoms: A preliminary randomized controlled trial.JMIR Ment Health. 2018;5(4):e11290. doi:10.2196/11290

14 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Karyotaki E, Cuijpers P, Albor Y, et al.Sources of stress and their associations with mental disorders among college students: Results of the World Health Organization World Mental Health Surveys International College Student Initiative.Front Psychol. 2020;11:1759. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2020.01759Bierzynska M, Bielecki M, Marchewka A, et al.Effect of frustration on brain activation pattern in subjects with different temperament.Front Psychol. 2016;6:1989. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2015.01989Zajenkowska A, Jasielska D, Melonowska J.Stress and sensitivity to frustration predicting depression among young adults in Poland and Korea - Psychological and philosophical explanations.Curr Psychol. 2019;38(3):769-774. doi:10.1007/s12144-017-9654-0Ayala EE, Winseman JS, Johnsen RD, Mason HRC.U.S. medical students who engage in self-care report less stress and higher quality of life.BMC Med Educ. 2018;18(1):189. doi:10.1186/s12909-018-1296-xJeronimus BF, Laceulle OM.Frustration. In: Zeigler-Hill V, Shackelford TK, eds.Encyclopedia of Personality and Individual Differences. Springer International Publishing; 2017:1-5. doi:10.1007/978-3-319-28099-8_815-1Maslach C, Leiter MP.Understanding the burnout experience: Recent research and its implications for psychiatry.World Psychiatry. 2016;15(2):103–111. doi:10.1002/wps.20311Kumari A, Gupta S.A study of emotional intelligence and frustration tolerance among adolescent.ARJSS.2015;6:173-180. doi:10.15740/HAS/ARJSS/6.2/173-180Vovk A, Emishyants O, Zelenko O, Maksymova N, Drobot O, Onufriieva L.Psychological features of experiences of frustration situations in youth age.IJSTR. 2020;9:920-924.Can YS, Iles-Smith H, Chalabianloo N, et al.How to relax in stressful situations: A smart stress reduction system.Healthcare (Basel). 2020;8(2):100. doi:10.3390/healthcare8020100Zhang J, Miao D, Sun Y, et al.The impacts of attributional styles and dispositional optimism on subject well-being: A structural equation modelling analysis.Soc Indic Res. 2014;119(2):757-769. doi:10.1007/s11205-013-0520-7Rossler W.Nutrition, sleep, physical exercise: Impact on mental health.Eur Psychiat. 2016;33(suppl):S12. doi:10.1016/j.eurpsy.2016.01.804Goyal M, Singh S, Sibinga EM, et al.Meditation programs for psychological stress and well-being: A systematic review and meta-analysis.JAMA Intern Med. 2014;174(3):357–368. doi:10.1001/jamainternmed.2013.13018Abdul Aziz NA, Baharudin NS, Alias NA.Association between Stress and Social Support Perceived among Undergraduate Health Sciences Student.Malays J Med Sci. 2023;30(3):176-183. doi:10.21315/mjms2023.30.3.16Smyth JM, Johnson JA, Auer BJ, Lehman E, Talamo G, Sciamanna CN.Online positive affect journaling in the improvement of mental distress and well-being in general medical patients with elevated anxiety symptoms: A preliminary randomized controlled trial.JMIR Ment Health. 2018;5(4):e11290. doi:10.2196/11290

Karyotaki E, Cuijpers P, Albor Y, et al.Sources of stress and their associations with mental disorders among college students: Results of the World Health Organization World Mental Health Surveys International College Student Initiative.Front Psychol. 2020;11:1759. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2020.01759Bierzynska M, Bielecki M, Marchewka A, et al.Effect of frustration on brain activation pattern in subjects with different temperament.Front Psychol. 2016;6:1989. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2015.01989Zajenkowska A, Jasielska D, Melonowska J.Stress and sensitivity to frustration predicting depression among young adults in Poland and Korea - Psychological and philosophical explanations.Curr Psychol. 2019;38(3):769-774. doi:10.1007/s12144-017-9654-0Ayala EE, Winseman JS, Johnsen RD, Mason HRC.U.S. medical students who engage in self-care report less stress and higher quality of life.BMC Med Educ. 2018;18(1):189. doi:10.1186/s12909-018-1296-xJeronimus BF, Laceulle OM.Frustration. In: Zeigler-Hill V, Shackelford TK, eds.Encyclopedia of Personality and Individual Differences. Springer International Publishing; 2017:1-5. doi:10.1007/978-3-319-28099-8_815-1Maslach C, Leiter MP.Understanding the burnout experience: Recent research and its implications for psychiatry.World Psychiatry. 2016;15(2):103–111. doi:10.1002/wps.20311Kumari A, Gupta S.A study of emotional intelligence and frustration tolerance among adolescent.ARJSS.2015;6:173-180. doi:10.15740/HAS/ARJSS/6.2/173-180Vovk A, Emishyants O, Zelenko O, Maksymova N, Drobot O, Onufriieva L.Psychological features of experiences of frustration situations in youth age.IJSTR. 2020;9:920-924.Can YS, Iles-Smith H, Chalabianloo N, et al.How to relax in stressful situations: A smart stress reduction system.Healthcare (Basel). 2020;8(2):100. doi:10.3390/healthcare8020100Zhang J, Miao D, Sun Y, et al.The impacts of attributional styles and dispositional optimism on subject well-being: A structural equation modelling analysis.Soc Indic Res. 2014;119(2):757-769. doi:10.1007/s11205-013-0520-7Rossler W.Nutrition, sleep, physical exercise: Impact on mental health.Eur Psychiat. 2016;33(suppl):S12. doi:10.1016/j.eurpsy.2016.01.804Goyal M, Singh S, Sibinga EM, et al.Meditation programs for psychological stress and well-being: A systematic review and meta-analysis.JAMA Intern Med. 2014;174(3):357–368. doi:10.1001/jamainternmed.2013.13018Abdul Aziz NA, Baharudin NS, Alias NA.Association between Stress and Social Support Perceived among Undergraduate Health Sciences Student.Malays J Med Sci. 2023;30(3):176-183. doi:10.21315/mjms2023.30.3.16Smyth JM, Johnson JA, Auer BJ, Lehman E, Talamo G, Sciamanna CN.Online positive affect journaling in the improvement of mental distress and well-being in general medical patients with elevated anxiety symptoms: A preliminary randomized controlled trial.JMIR Ment Health. 2018;5(4):e11290. doi:10.2196/11290

Bierzynska M, Bielecki M, Marchewka A, et al.Effect of frustration on brain activation pattern in subjects with different temperament.Front Psychol. 2016;6:1989. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2015.01989

Zajenkowska A, Jasielska D, Melonowska J.Stress and sensitivity to frustration predicting depression among young adults in Poland and Korea - Psychological and philosophical explanations.Curr Psychol. 2019;38(3):769-774. doi:10.1007/s12144-017-9654-0

Ayala EE, Winseman JS, Johnsen RD, Mason HRC.U.S. medical students who engage in self-care report less stress and higher quality of life.BMC Med Educ. 2018;18(1):189. doi:10.1186/s12909-018-1296-x

Jeronimus BF, Laceulle OM.Frustration. In: Zeigler-Hill V, Shackelford TK, eds.Encyclopedia of Personality and Individual Differences. Springer International Publishing; 2017:1-5. doi:10.1007/978-3-319-28099-8_815-1

Maslach C, Leiter MP.Understanding the burnout experience: Recent research and its implications for psychiatry.World Psychiatry. 2016;15(2):103–111. doi:10.1002/wps.20311

Kumari A, Gupta S.A study of emotional intelligence and frustration tolerance among adolescent.ARJSS.2015;6:173-180. doi:10.15740/HAS/ARJSS/6.2/173-180

Vovk A, Emishyants O, Zelenko O, Maksymova N, Drobot O, Onufriieva L.Psychological features of experiences of frustration situations in youth age.IJSTR. 2020;9:920-924.

Can YS, Iles-Smith H, Chalabianloo N, et al.How to relax in stressful situations: A smart stress reduction system.Healthcare (Basel). 2020;8(2):100. doi:10.3390/healthcare8020100

Zhang J, Miao D, Sun Y, et al.The impacts of attributional styles and dispositional optimism on subject well-being: A structural equation modelling analysis.Soc Indic Res. 2014;119(2):757-769. doi:10.1007/s11205-013-0520-7

Rossler W.Nutrition, sleep, physical exercise: Impact on mental health.Eur Psychiat. 2016;33(suppl):S12. doi:10.1016/j.eurpsy.2016.01.804

Goyal M, Singh S, Sibinga EM, et al.Meditation programs for psychological stress and well-being: A systematic review and meta-analysis.JAMA Intern Med. 2014;174(3):357–368. doi:10.1001/jamainternmed.2013.13018

Abdul Aziz NA, Baharudin NS, Alias NA.Association between Stress and Social Support Perceived among Undergraduate Health Sciences Student.Malays J Med Sci. 2023;30(3):176-183. doi:10.21315/mjms2023.30.3.16

Smyth JM, Johnson JA, Auer BJ, Lehman E, Talamo G, Sciamanna CN.Online positive affect journaling in the improvement of mental distress and well-being in general medical patients with elevated anxiety symptoms: A preliminary randomized controlled trial.JMIR Ment Health. 2018;5(4):e11290. doi:10.2196/11290

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At a Glance#

What Causes Frustration?#

Internal vs. External Frustration#

Effects of Frustration#

Stress#

Related Conditions#

Improve Your Emotional Intelligence#

Distract Yourself#

Practice Mindfulness#

Use Other Relaxation Techniques#

Change Your Attitude#

Change Your Lifestyle#

Draw on Social Support#