You’re Frustrated? Good — That’s Exactly What You Needed!
Frustration isn’t here to break you; it’s here to alert you. Something inside you has stopped tolerating the status quo, and that’s not only uncomfortable — it’s healthy. All it demands is that you move. The sooner you listen to it, the better you’ll feel.
The other day, Nina, my close friend in Paris, launched into one of those telephone monologues usually reserved for post-breakdown evenings. In this kind, frustration oozes from every syllable, and the mascara gave up long before the end of the sentence:
“I’m done! I’m getting nowhere. My manager keeps throwing absurd projects at me. I spend my days fixing other people’s PowerPoints. And come evening, I blow up — I’m downright vile, even to my dog.”
And instead of the predictable “Oh poor you…”, I said: “Good!”
Silence. I could feel her dagger-stare through the phone. But I didn’t stop — because that “good” wasn’t there to sink her deeper. It was meant to pull her out.
Frustration: Not a Curse, but a Wake-Up Call
Frustration isn’t some toxic emotional fog, but quite the opposite. It’s the signal your mind sends out when something vital is no longer working, when stagnation becomes unbearable and it’s time to make a move, to change, or risk fading out slowly.
Without that signal, how many lives get stuck on autopilot? We cling to habits, roles or routines that no longer serve us. We watch the weeks slip by, quietly numbed, like passengers sulking in the backseat of our own lives.
This isn’t a call to burn everything down. It’s about reclaiming even a sliver of control, a bit of initiative. Taking one step, making one decision — even if only symbolic.
Don’t Act for the Sake of Acting
Before rushing headlong into the first idea that passes, there’s sometimes, and this may feel counterintuitive, a more productive first move: take a break. Not to ruminate endlessly, but to ask yourself a real question: What exactly is wrong? What am I lacking, right now?
Far from self-pity or self-indulgence, this step is essential. It’s what prevents us from spinning in circles, hoping the discomfort will simply evaporate.
And if no clear answer comes to mind? No problem. Just look for the tiniest shift, something that might improve your situation by 1%. A small, genuine movement. Because most of the time, what unlocks a situation isn’t the perfect solution — it’s the action itself.
One Step Before the Brain Starts Talking You Out of It
We’re not talking grand visions or ten-year strategies. Sometimes, taking a walk, saying out loud quietly what you’ve been swallowing for days, or shutting your laptop on time is already enough to change the dynamic.
Otherwise, your brain will get in the way. It’ll start spinning stories, crafting excuses, convincing you to wait just one more day. And with every postponement, the frustration digs deeper.
These minor gestures, seemingly trivial, are what reactivate your prefrontal cortex, the part of your brain that lets you take the wheel again. They create just enough space for real solutions to re-emerge, the very ones procrastination usually buries.
This is precisely where Mel Robbins’ method comes in handy. Her technique? It’s so simple it borders on silly — and yet it’s brutally effective: The moment the urge to act appears, count: 5, 4, 3, 2, 1… and GO.
No room for doubt, analysis or hesitation. Just a shift — tiny, physical, but decisive — that puts your life back in your own hands.
Guess Who Called the Next Day?
It was Nina. Her voice had changed.
“You know what? I was furious when you said that. But right when I felt I was going to explode, I tried your trick. I went to see my boss. We redefined the processes together, and now everything is much clearer.
I can finally breathe. Even my dog is less wary of me!”
Now, it’ your turn !
What is your frustration trying to tell you?
What are you still refusing to see ?
A project buried for months, a career change muffled by fear or convenience?
You don’t have to solve it all today.
But what if you simply took back the wheel, even just a bit, even just for today?
