Right now, as we all face another few weeks of being locked in, it seems the greatest scream of anguish is caused by frustration … the frustration of empty shelves at the supermarket, the frustration of the existence of profiteers, of not being able to go to work, of having to fend off profiteers or of being ripped off by them, of not being able to go where you want to go or just get in the car and take a drive. The frustration of being in the house day after day after day after day.

John Lennon got it right when he said “Life is what happens when you’re making plans”. I doubt if he was thinking of a world-wide pandemic and life with a killer virus of unprecedented virility.

Perhaps Plans should be called Spoiler Alerts or mood swing guarantors.

There are many, but these are the Top 5

▸ Money
▸ Health
▸ Family
▸ Death
▸ Relationships

In 2020 and in the midst of a pandemic, they all seem to feel more relevant than usual

Probably nothing. 2019 was a bit of a disappointment … so much promise it seemed after the horrors of 2018. Were we looking to lower our levels of frustration and the anger, anxiety and stress that goes with it? Didn’t work for me. It probably didn’t work for you either. It’s a lesson unlikely to be learned in the near future because of the unprecedented societal change we’re all experiencing.

Being in lock-down is enough to raise the frustration level of a gnat …

Anything that increases anxiety, anger, and sadness will also increase the body’s BAD responses to stress, such as over-eating, smoking, and excess alcohol. It can drive you to …

★ bite your nails – never a good look and dangerous to your health
★ gnash your teeth – bad for your jaw and often causes headaches
★ punch walls – NO! you really don’t want to damage your hands
★ scream – highly recommended, but please go away from others
★ tear your hair out – NO NO! Think of the consequences
★ punch somebody’s lights out –why does the Law take such a dim view of this?
★ eat tubs of ice cream … worry about the extra softness another day.
★ beat a pillow to death with a tennis racquet … this is a WONDERFUL experience!

Physically frustration causes …

• raised blood pressure
• obesity
• diabetes
• heart disease

Frustration is defined as a psychological response to stress; it can be mild to extreme. It depends on the situation!

Is Frustration stress? Not really. It just causes stress to take over your mental, emotional and physical being and combine them all in an Adrenaline-loaded, Cortisol-flooded heap.

Anything that leads to stress is a killer because STRESS KILLS. Let’s make no mistake about this … STRESS KILLS

Often, you’re unaware your stress levels are on the rise until you find your shoulders around your ears, your body as rigid as a surfboard and your head about to explode. Patience and tolerance are brought to their knees, your level of frustration is stratospheric and punching a hole in the wall seems a great idea!

The solution is to find some way of lowering your Adrenaline and Cortisol levels, which are a direct result of stress. There are many, many options available to you. Any of these will work:

Visualisation … try Vivid Visualisation
Yoga …
Walk the dog
Walk somebody else’s dog!
Breathe … like it’s your last breath! The Oxygen Advantage
Laugh. Go to Laughter Yoga or similar or read something like Laughter Therapy
Smile. No matter how frustrated you’re feeling!

How can I not mention… 25 Ways to a Happier, Healthier You … I wrote it! In response to cries of help in stress management and yes, it offers 25 ways to stop stressing and start living.