Emotional Regulation: Frustration and Anger Worksheet
Frustration and anger come about because one does not accept reality.
Frustration is a precursor to or a milder form of anger; a feeling of resistance in response to the refusal to accept something as it is, or the failed attempt to change or get the desired outcome of something. When what you want is different from what is actual reality, then you get frustrated because you do not accept things as they are.
Anger is a reaction to a perceived wrong; i.e., someone thinks they were wronged, challenged, or attacked in some way, such as a boundary violation, an injustice, or that life is not fair. It prompts someone to act w/ assertion, confrontation, attack/aggression, or suppress the emotion.
Frustration Exercise
Being aware, acknowledging, and accepting a situation prevents resistance.
- Awareness is the perception of something in existence.
- Acknowledgment is admitting the existence of something.
- Acceptance is allowing something to exist.
See the worksheet for the full process.
Anger Management Exercise
This exercise is meant to provide insight into what the rules are that you get angry about if broken. It is based on The Rule Model of Anger that I teach. See the worksheet for full process.
Also check out information on emotional contagion, emotional processing, emotional venting, and evocation of anger and expectancy confirmation.