How well we do in our life fluctuates day-by-day and even hour-by-hour. We feel it in our sense of wellbeing and our ability to be productive and effective. In general, our overall functioning is a result of the balance between those things, people and activity that brigs us satisfactions and those same things that makes us frustrated.
Think of satisfactions as all those things, both inner and outer, that nourish our sense of self. In contrast, frustrations are all those blockages that obstruct our sense of movement, progress and expansion in our daily life.
FUNCTIONING = SATISFACTIONS FRUSTRATIONS
When our level of satisfaction is high, we experience a sense of buoyancy, effectiveness and optimism. When our satisfactions are low, we feel depleted, detached and unmotivated.
When our level of frustration is high, we experience a sense of hopelessness, anxiety, anger and pessimism. On the other hand, if our level of frustration gets too low, we feel bored, unchallenged and blah.
A healthy life balance has enough satisfaction to create a positive mind-frame and enough frustration to create a sense of challenge and accomplishment.
Satisfactions come from a sense of connection, engagement, accomplishment and acknowledgement in many different areas of our life and experience. Examples include:
- Work
- Self esteem
- Finances
- Intimate relationships
- Religious and spiritual practices
- Family and friends
- Community involvement
- Leisure activities, exercise and vacations
- Hobbies and passions
Frustrations arise in the same areas of our life as above but then we experience:
- Being blocked and stuck
- Feeling unproductive
- Having low energy and ill health
- Feeling unsupported, judged and criticized
- Feeling overwhelmed
- Procrastinating and avoiding
- Feeling anxious or hopeless
Everyday, you need to cultivate more sources of satisfaction than frustration. When frustration makes you tense or angry, take a breath and do something that makes you feel satisfied.