REMEMBER!
Small irritations can impact our lives, too. Research shows that even small irritations can affect our long-term health if we let them carry over into the next day or week. A study by Kate Leger from the University of California, Irvine, shows that people who couldn't let go of negative emotions caused by daily stress tended to have more health issues later in life.
Minor irritations can be particularly distracting. In their book Annoying: The Science of What Bugs Us, Joe Palca and Flora Lichtman explain that minor irritations can be particularly annoying because they are unpredictable. We are good at blocking out things like background traffic noise but find sudden, unexpected sounds or interruptions more difficult to deal with. They are outside our control and disturb our focus.
So, how can we prevent minor irritations having long-term effects?
Acknowledge them. Accept that minor irritations exist - and just move on. They will soon fade into the background.
Take a break. Get a cup of coffee and chat to a colleague. Minor irritations usually last for only a few minutes.
Let go of negative emotions. Kate Leger says: "Stress is common in our everyday lives. … Our research shows that the strategy to ‘just let it go' could be beneficial to our long-term physical health."