7 Tricks to Beat Irritation and Frustration When You Have a Habit to Break

When you undertake your journey to change habits you may find that you feel short tempered, irritated and frustrated. This is particularly true for smokers as you are dealing with the effects of nicotine withdrawal.

It’s also possible that you will feel grumpy and will be quick to get angry and be less tolerant of other people’s action. This is completely normal when you change habits and is a temporary state of mind that will pass.

If you feel anger or frustration arising with people (or the photocopier!) then take a deep breath and remind yourself where these feelings are coming from. If the feelings don’t go away then get up and go for a walk; to the water cooler or around the block. This will allow you to focus on something other than the thing or person was that causing you to feel so tense.

You can try some, or all, of these habit breaking tricks in order to make your habit change work:

1. Talk it out. Find a quiet place and let go! Have a good rave and rant about why you are so frustrated and angry. Keep going until you are sick of the sound of your own voice and then continue for another minute to make sure it is all out of your system. I’ve found this is a great technique to get rid of frustrations when I have a habit to break.
2. Stretching. When you feel irritated take a moment and do some gentle stretches. If you find this trick is right for you then consider going to a stretching or yoga class.
3. Breathe. This is a great trick to use anywhere. Simply take a deep breathe in your nose and breathe slowly out through your mouth. Repeat this 5 times and be conscious of how you are feeling.
4. Meditation. You can use mediation to distance yourself from the thoughts that are whirling around in your head. Find a comfortable place and close your eyes. Simply let your thoughts come and go and watch them as if you were an independent observer. If you feel yourself going off track then simply start again as an observer.
5. Exercise. This is great for releasing pent up frustration, especially if you find an exercise that allows you to vent your frustration. Tennis, squash or a kick boxing class would be great ways to get rid of any irritation.
6. Relax. When you are frustrated or irritated you are tensing up the muscles in your body. Give yourself a break and have a warm bubble bath or a massage to relax.
7. Food. Avoid any foods that make you edgy. I know that too much sugar and caffeine can cause me to become hyper active. You need to identity any foods that may cause you to feel on edge while you change habits.

Do let those close to you know why you are feeling tense so that they understand that it is not actually them that is causing you irritation, rather it is the process of habit change that is the cause of your frustration. Although these feelings may be overwhelming, keep in mind that they are only temporary.

7 Tricks to Beat Irritation and Frustration When You Have a Habit to Break by Andrea Jordan