# Don't Panic! Frustration is an Anti-Pattern

By Randall Degges · October 4, 2012 · https://rdegges.com/2012/dont-panic-frustration-is-an-anti-pattern/

> The next time you get frustrated, take a deep breath and relax.  Coding when you're frustrated isn't going to help anyone.

![Warrior Face Sketch][]


Frustration and programming seem to go hand in hand.  When solving problems
with code, there are an unlimited amount of things that can go wrong, and very
few things that can go right:

-   The third party library you're using to implement a piece of functionality
    doesn't work as stated in the documentation.
-   Your co-worker unknowingly reverted a bug fix you made the previous week.
-   You accidentally deployed code that corrupted user data.

Unfortunately, this means that if you write a lot of code, you'll be spending
quite a lot of time frustrated on a day-to-day basis.

What I've noticed, however, is that lots of people tend to *embrace* their
frustration instead of doing the opposite and *letting it go*.

When you bump into problems, if you tell yourself that it is difficult, and
convince yourself that you are a victim of issues you can't control--your
frustration will simply keep building and building, and your work will quickly
dwindle in quality.

The more you embrace your frustration, the more frustrated you become.

Through my own experience, I know that some individuals (and companies!)
actually *thrive* off frustration.  Instead of acknowledging the issues at
hand, some people simply press each other harder, and make each other feel
worse.  In the workplace, this manifests as a boss pressuring his subordinates
when they're in a tight spot, adding to the frustration and intensity of the
whole organization--and delivery sub-par results.

There is no way to stop yourself from being frustrated.  Instead, however, you
can consciously make a decision to acknowledge your frustration (that broken
third party library, your reverted bug fix, whatever), realize that your
frustration isn't helping you make progress, and let it go.

With a clear head, you can now tackle the next most important problem (fixing
that broken library) without compromising your sanity.

Just *let it go*.


[Warrior Face Sketch]: warrior-face-sketch.png "Warrior Face Sketch"