We’ve all faced frustration every now and then at work. When you’re so passionate about what you do certain negatives can agitate us. The reaction to these generally is anger and frustration – both of which we try to avoid, but sometimes it’s inevitable. Sure the books and blogs you read all tell you about how to stay positive, think positive, act positive and generally bring positivity into your lives to be happy and successful. But how possible is it to always be positive. Since you can’t avoid it, you could embrace it and channel your frustrations to do something good.
At first it all sounds like fiction. It’s far from being an easy feat. When you’re angry and frustrated being positive is the last thing on your mind. Most times you just want to give whoever is standing in front of you a piece of your mind. Your knee-jerk reaction would definitely not be a pleasant one, for you or the other party. So don’t react so quickly. Instead try these techniques:
1. Walking Away
Be mindful that as much as you’re frustrated by people and situations, people themselves can equally be frustrated by you and similar situations. In a way, I’m saying you could allow them the benefit of the doubt. So instead of reacting in a manner that could seriously damage the relationship, try walking away from the situation. You can still salvage things by doing this, rather than causing long-term damages.
By walking away you’re giving yourself time to think things over. More often than not we look back at a bad situation and upon analyzing it we think of all the things we could have said but didn’t. When you’re frustrated this is one of those moments. Don’t allow yourself to stumble upon this pitfall.
There may be times that it could be difficult to avoid a reaction. You could be in a meeting which is seriously frustrating you because of the direction it’s headed and your input is being sought. At that moment the best response you could give is calmly explaining to everyone that you’re not in the frame of mind to respond as you could say things that may have a negative impact on the situation. It’s best you clearly explain to them that you’ll provide a response at a later stage.
2. Get a Positive Start
I’m a firm believer of starting mornings early, energized and pumped up for the day’s challenges. I usually wake up with high spirits and look forward to the day ahead. Sure it may not always end up being a smooth and happy day, but my mornings are almost always starting off on a positive note. And so should yours!
They say you should love what you do. And if you love your work that’s just half the mindset for you to be positive when you wake up. Because soon you’ll be going to a job that you enjoy doing, with people who you enjoy being around and working for a cause that you believe in. It’s that simple!
The second half of the morning mindset is how you go about your morning. Showers can be made chirpier and less routinized if you were to sing your favorite song. You could even alter your breakfast routines by having a daily surprise (draw your breakfast choice from a bowl of options and surprise yourself with what you’ll have each day). Shake things up! Make your mornings less dull and instead be livelier. Arrive to work with a positive mindset and energy.
3. Choose Your Battles
Sometimes we forget the most basic sayings like “don’t cry over spilled milk”. Being frustrated over something you have no control over is just like that saying. It’s pointless, needless and can’t be undone. The only thing that can be done is to assess the damage, mitigate risks, learn from the experience and make corrections to avoid similar happenings in the future.
For things that frustrate you which you have control over there can be a different approach. Don’t be hasty and quick to react. You can still assess and weigh your options. UC Berkeley’s Greater Good Science Center conducted a research which found that “feeling angry increases optimism, creativity, effective performance” and that “expressing anger can lead to more successful negotiations.”
What that means is there is light in darkness if you seek it. And there is optimism in frustrations if you channel it wisely. Sometimes the best way to manage your frustrations is to lose a few battles just so you can have your say and win the war.
The reaction to frustrations can be ugly at times. The last thing you want is for your colleagues to see your dark side and what it does to you. Don’t allow them to have this one-up over you. Remain calm, collected and composed. Being angry and frustrated isn’t always a bad thing. It’s how you channel your frustrations and use it to your benefit and advantage that counts.
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