Our workplaces are not all sweetness and light. There are always some minor irritations we have to deal with. A colleague interrupts you when you are writing a report that is needed urgently by the board. Technicians start drilling when you are on the phone. You accidentally spill coffee on to your keyboard.
Have a look at the conversation below and highlight the words and phrases you might find useful when discussing this topic.
Expressions in context
Colleagues Colin and Mary are chatting during the coffee break.
Colin: I'm so irritated with George. He knows I have to get the budget done by tomorrow. But he keeps coming in and asking for help with his IT report.
Mary: Don't forget he's only been in the job a few weeks. He probably sees you as a kind of mentor.
Colin: I suppose you're right. I'm just in a bad mood. I'm trying to concentrate on the budget but I keep getting interrupted. And it's not just George.
Mary: What else is bugging you?
Colin: There are two technicians climbing all over the office repairing the air conditioning, which has been making a rattling sound for days.
Mary: That is irritating. I hate loud background noises.
Colin: Funnily enough, I got used to the rattling noise. It's having the repair workers here that's more irritating!
Mary: It sounds like you needed this break. How long will the work on the air conditioning take?
Colin: They said they should be finished by the time I get back. But I still won't be able to focus on the budget. Jack is ill and has asked me to show a couple of customers around the IT department.
Mary: How long will that take?
Colin: About 45 minutes. Then, finally, I can get on with my work.
Mary: Take it easy, Colin. I know it's hard, but try to let the irritations go. Believe me, you'll have forgotten them in an hour or so.
Colin: You're right, of course. Sorry to be such a whinger. I actually feel more cheerful now that I've let off some steam!
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."