Page 29 - ALIVE CODE

DARE TO BE A.L.I.V.E. - DON’T BE A D.A.S.H.

Low Frustration Tolerance

Low frustration tolerance (LFT) often follows your disturbing beliefs and the
self-talk that accompanies them. Learning about LFT may help you to deal
with the frustrations that exist for all of us.

LFT describes your tolerance for dif culties and hassles. How much is “too
much” or “more than you can stand?” Some people are able to tolerate a
great deal of frustration, while others easily push themselves over the edge
by what they believe and tell themselves about even mild hassles.

Normal feelings of frustration, when your Goals are blocked, are good—for
they motivate you to remove the blocks and achieve what you want. But if
your frustration tolerance is low, you actually increase your feelings of
disappointment, waste time and energy whining, and consequently you
interfere more with reaching your Goals than do the hindrances you
encounter.

LFT creates a strong tendency to give up in the face of frustration. It gets in
the way of your long-term Goals because you may erroneously evaluate the

blocks to achieving them as being “too much,” and consequently stop trying
to overcome these blocks.

When you have LFT you feel overly frustrated and begin saying things like, “I
can’t stand it, It’s more than I can bear! This is too much! I’m at my breaking
point!” How do these Beliefs help you?

They don’t! LFT is an emotional problem, because it makes you feel listless
and lethargic. It is a behavioral problem, because it stops you from pursuing

your Goals. Most people are fallible humans who are prone to LFT. It often
makes the world go round- backwards How do you overcome LFT Ironically,
by working to overcome it!

What You Can Do about LFT

First, Dispute the irrational Beliefs (iBs), which created it. After Disputing your
irrational, LFT creating Beliefs, begin replacing them with more self-helping
statements. You can say,

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