We all have that one small thing that irritates the hell out of us. It can ruin or whole evening or even ruin the whole day. Mine is if people keep repeating the same thing over and over to me like they think I didn't understand them the first time, or when people start to ask me why I'm mad while I'm not even mad. And that makes me mad if they keep asking it.
My solution to them is pretty simple: just eliminate the cause of it. Annoying person you're talking to? Stop talking to him or just make it clear that the thing what he is doing now is just plain stupid.
So what are yours hubski, and how do you deal with them?
My solution may sound a little strange and might not be helpful for anyone that is looking for new ways to help deal with these frustrations, but I'll explain it anyway. I love stand up comedy. Performing in a comedy club is on the top of my bucket list. I also enjoy narrative writing. So whenever I notice something that frustrates me like this, I take a mental note and try to develop it into a bit. Me and my housemate will often get high and have long conversations about whatever. This is usually where I will attempt some sort of David-Mitchell-esque rant about whatever and explore the jokes and bits in my head, and I usually get a good chuckle out of him. My roommate and most of my other friends are aware of what I'm doing and they're really supportive, especially since I'm basically just trying to entertain them. So I'm constantly trying to take these negative frustrations, break them down and try to turn them into something positive.
I try to count my blessings. There is no point getting worked up about "ants" which is all these tiny things are. It's really hard, when you're in the moment, but consider the bigger picture rather than let something ruin your day. It was one person, one conversation. There are so many other good people and good things out there. Move on to them.
Journaling really helps me put things into perspective. As I've written entries, I start to get a feel of what bothers me, and how to avoid it. I'll be pissed about something in one entry, and then laugh about how upset I was in the next entry. Meditation helps with that as well. Letting your mind float makes it so that you aren't so affected by everything going on around all the time. Then, of course, there's exercise. Sometimes just hitting the pavement helps burn off that anxiety or annoyance.
I think you would really enjoy this post: http://hubski.com/pub?id=96025
For some reason it really annoys me when people remind me that I've got to be ready for somewhere/something. For example, if I'm in bed or just watching TV and someone comes in and says: "Don't you need to hurry up? Your bus is coming in 15 minutes." I know they're just trying to be helpful but it really digs at me that they presume I've completely forgotten something I do every day or was told about the day before. I'm not an idiot; if I said I'll be there at the time I will be but not on your schedule. I know how long it takes me to do things. As I said, I just remember they're trying to help and usually just respond with a simple 'Yes, I know.' But if it's morning then sometimes I'll get cranky and then feel bad about it.