Lately, I’ve met so many people—friends, clients, and even myself—feeling stuck in frustration. It’s that heavy, lingering feeling of wanting something to change but not knowing how to move forward.
I feel it in my own life too. As a mother, it sometimes takes me ages to motivate my daughter to do something simple. It can be exhausting. Being far from my family adds another layer of frustration. For others, it’s the job they can’t stand, the job they can’t find, or a relationship that feels off balance.
Frustration is often accompanied by fear, sadness, or even anger. And let’s be real—none of us like being in that place.
So, what can we do? How do we move from frustration to motivation when we feel drained, overwhelmed, or stuck?
Step 1: Feel It Before You Fight It
We live in a culture that tells us to “push through” frustration, but what if instead of resisting it, we actually listened to it?
Osho once wrote about how emotions, when repressed, don’t disappear—they get buried deeper. Instead of fighting them, he encourages us to let them move through us completely:
“Don’t suppress your tears. Cry completely, so that you can become clean, unburdened. Tears are like a cleansing process.” (*Osho, Emotions: Freedom from Anger, Jealousy & Fear from Amazon)
I know it sounds counterintuitive, but I’ve found that sometimes, just crying helps. It’s a reset. It clears space for something new to emerge.
So before trying to “fix” your frustration, acknowledge it. Feel it. Let it move through you, and then take the next step.
Step 2: Understand That Motivation Comes After Action
Many people believe motivation is what gets us started. But science shows that’s actually wrong.
As Joe Dispenza explains in Becoming Supernatural (Amazon):
“We cannot wait for our life to change to feel empowered. We have to begin to do what’s unnatural, what feels uncomfortable, to break free from the old self.”
This means that motivation doesn’t come first—it’s something we generate by taking action, even when we don’t feel like it.
🔹 So what’s the smallest thing you can do right now?
✔ Need to job hunt? Open your laptop.
✔ Need to work out? Put on your shoes.
✔ Feeling lonely? Text a friend.
Tiny actions create momentum, and momentum fuels motivation.
Step 3: Identify the “Why” Behind Your Frustration
Frustration isn’t random. It’s usually a sign that something inside you wants more—more growth, more alignment, more change.
Ask yourself:
✔ What is this frustration trying to tell me?
✔ What do I actually want that I’m not getting?
✔ How would my life improve if I moved past this?
When we connect to a deeper purpose, motivation stops being a battle and starts feeling like a pull.
Step 4: Lower the Bar (Seriously, Make It Easy)
One of the biggest mistakes people make is waiting for the perfect moment to feel inspired or productive. That moment rarely comes.
Instead, reduce resistance by making things so easy that they don’t require much effort to start.
🔹 Want to write? Just write one sentence.
🔹 Want to exercise? Just do five jumping jacks.
🔹 Want to clean? Just clear one surface.
Once you start, it’s way easier to keep going.
Step 5: Visualize the Aftermath
Have you ever noticed that the hardest part is starting? But once something is done, you feel so much lighter?
That’s because our brains tend to overestimate how hard things will be and underestimate how good we’ll feel afterward.
🔹 Next time you’re resisting something, visualize how relieved and accomplished you’ll feel once it’s done. Sometimes, that’s enough to pull you forward.
Final Thought: You Don’t Have to “Fix” It All—You Just Have to Start
Frustration can be paralyzing, but it doesn’t have to keep you stuck. The key is not to wait for motivation but to create it through small, intentional actions.
And hey, if you need to cry first—go ahead. Let it out. Then, pick one tiny step and take it.
I’m here with you on this journey, as crazy and unpredictable as it might be. (And now, enjoy this ridiculous picture of me because, honestly, life is too short to take everything too seriously!) 😆
Let’s do this!
Vered