On Frustration: How to Turn Obstacles Into Openings
Frustrated? This therapist-written guide helps you name the feeling, shift perspective, and respond with clarity. Includes quotes and journaling prompts.
Updated on
July 8, 2025
This post is part of our series exploring difficult emotions through reflection.
Written by Jon, a Licensed Mental Health Counselor, this guide helps you understand the roots of frustration and shows you how to respond with clarity and direction.
What It Means to Feel Frustrated
Frustration is one of those quiet, smoldering emotions that builds fast and explodes if ignored. If not handled correctly, it can easily turn into anger—or worse, resignation.
Frustration shows up when things don’t go as planned. When people don’t listen. When you try, and something still gets in the way.
And yet, frustration doesn’t have to trap you.
In Stoic thought, the obstacle becomes the way. That means every block, every challenge, every “why is this happening again?” moment becomes your training ground. The key is not to avoid frustration, but to understand it—and adapt.
Related Stoic Quotes on Frustration
“Your mind will take the shape of what you frequently hold in thought, for the human spirit is colored by such impressions.”
—Marcus Aurelius
See more Stoic quotes about frustration → Quotes on Frustration
Journaling Prompts to Process Frustration
1. What situation is making you feel this way?
(Focus on what happened—not who’s to blame.)
2. Why do you think it’s triggering this frustration?
(What unmet need or blocked goal lies underneath?)
3. What do you feel in your body right now?
Close your eyes, take a deep breath, and observe.
Want more? 10 Journaling Prompts to Process Frustration
3-Step Exercise to Reset When You’re Frustrated (≈ 5 minutes)
- Pause and Label — Write a single sentence that names what’s frustrating you right now. Be honest and blunt.
- Shift the Lens — Ask: What can I control here? Even one tiny action counts.
- Move Forward Intentionally — Decide one small step you’ll take—even if it doesn’t fix the whole thing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is frustration always a bad thing?
No. Frustration often points to something you care about. The key is learning how to respond to it rather than react from it.
Why does Stoicism say the obstacle is the way?
Because hardship builds strength. What blocks your path becomes your path when you learn to engage with it rather than resist it.
How does journaling help with frustration?
It creates distance. When you name what’s happening and why, you shift from venting to understanding—and that’s where growth begins.
Updated at: Jul 9, 2025
Licensed Mental Health Counselor in private practice in Dubuque, Iowa. He has been providing mental health counseling to individuals and families in the Dubuque area since 1999 and earned his Mental Health Counselor license in 2005. Jon offers outpatient counseling in a private practice setting, primarily working with individuals aged 17 through adulthood.
Frustrated? Let Stoicism Show You a New Way Forward
Use the Stoic app to check in with your emotions and journal through frustration. With daily prompts and Stoic wisdom, you’ll start turning blocks into breakthroughs.
