Can your bark be characterized as actually worse than your bite?  Instantaneous results for all we do or desire is often seen as the norm, allowing commonplace annoyances to loom large in our pantheon of woes. The popularity of blogs and social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter, along with their wonderful innovations, have provided a forum to grumble about minor irritants and trivialities, things which would have gone rather unnoticed several years ago.

            Rather than fuming at countless (daily) annoyances, try enacting a personal paradigm shift in the way they’re viewed:

·         It’s ALL small stuff – sure, everyone has pet peeves, but most of those annoyances will not be remembered, even a few hours later; in the scheme of things, is it a tragedy to have to re-schedule a manicure or a golf game?

·         Majority rules – there are always annoying individuals to contend with, but they ARE in the minority; allowing them to consume our mental real estate exaggerates their perceived numbers and significance.

·         Back to basics – lessen stress (and annoyance) levels by getting enough sleep and exercise, taking deep breaths, self-talk and visualizations, which will help in not getting “bent out of shape” due to unforeseen changes or inconveniences.

 ·         Jumping to conclusions – what ELSE might someone’s statement or action actually mean?  Rather than capitulating to a grouchy interpretation, get feedback from others to check if your first assumption was really right on the money.

·         Pity the pathetic – those who are difficult, insensitive, angry or obtuse are not happy individuals; it’s often not about you and not intentional, so why take everything as a personal affront?

 ·         Mightily miffed – start replacing anger with understanding, humor (appreciate the ridiculousness of many irksome situations), or thoughtful approaches to change the way daily frustrations can be handled.

·         The beauty of a back-up plan– rather than being overcome by everyday irritants, do some forward thinking (ex. assuming that the repair person might not show up on time to fix the washing machine, view it as an opportunity do things at home which have  been on the back burner).

        ·         Cranky, crabby and cantankerous – who wants to   spend  time with someone who fits this description?  Try yelling at yourself in the mirror (or at a picture of someone you love), for a minor infraction and see if you can even complete this “exercise”.

 ·         Reinforcing energy drains – becoming easily exasperated over inconsequential bothers ensures that pet peeves will become endless, habitual and justified.  Who suffers most?

·         Living well is indeed the best revenge – rather than expending energy on getting even, what can be done to improve, appreciate and enliven things in your own life?

 And remember, taking action is the catalyst for change!