Managing Friction: Constructive Approaches to Dealing with People Who Annoy You

When someone you work with annoys you, what do you feel? Annoyance is probably at the forefront of your mind when you think about that person, and they appear to be annoying through that lens. However, it may surprise you to learn that when someone appears to be annoying to us, they’re suffering from a social disorder that has been named in many different ways. We’ll explore some of these terms in this article to understand better how and why others become “annoying” and what we can do about it.

How To Develop Empathy For Someone Who Annoys You

PEOPLE WHO ANNOY YOU

Like most conditions with emotional components, there isn’t one unifying cause for all cases of clear annoyance in society; instead, there are many potential triggers that result in the same frustrating response from those around them.

In academia, sociology-based research has named this affliction “intermittent explosive disorder,” which is much more severe than the typical annoyance it causes. This can be diagnosed in an individual after examination by a mental health professional, and many factors contribute to its root cause.

Most individuals with the intermittent explosive disorder have problems with impulse control, meaning they say or do things very quickly before thinking about what they’re doing. When angry, some complaints of short-term memory loss might make you wonder if this condition is related to Alzheimer’s disease.

In some cases, sufferers won’t remember what they did during an episode of anger because it will have been an action their mind didn’t choose but instead was given from a deeper source. These issues usually stem from childhood trauma, usually during the first decade of life.

How To Train Your Brain To Like People Who Annoy You

Altering your brain activity to support liking people who annoy you may sound like the goal of some b-list sci-fi film, but it’s something that anyone can do! Neuroscientists have recently discovered that our brains are surprisingly adaptable and able to change in response to experiences.

1. Remind yourself that awkwardness does not reflect poorly on you as a person and is usually temporary. Remember this when you’re tempted to let other people’s mistakes or gaffes annoy you! It takes time for our brains to process new information so give your mind some time to catch up with your social surroundings before judging the people around you.

2. Try an amusing mindset switch if all else fails: When you feel annoyed by another person’s words or actions, think of them at their best rather than worst. For example, picture someone who constantly bugs without realizing it doing something sweet- like baking your cupcakes.

3. Recognize that adjusting your perspective to like people who annoy you doesn’t mean giving them a pass or approving of their unsavory qualities- it simply means acknowledging that everyone has off days, including yourself! Acknowledging negative interactions as dull and uneventful rather than personally offensive is one step toward relaxing in new or uncomfortable social situations. Next time you’re tempted to be annoyed by someone’s gaffes, remind yourself that they are probably not even thinking about what they are doing, so there’s no point getting mad.

Three Mental Tricks To Deal With People Who Annoy You

PEOPLE WHO ANNOY YOU

People are different, and not everyone is going to be friendly. This article is meant for those dealing with people who annoy them on a personal or professional level, so please keep that in mind before sharing this tip around the internet. Three things you can do when faced with someone you don’t like:

  1. Stay calm
  2. Remind yourself of their positive qualities
  3. Go out of your way to help them

1) Stay Calm

The first thing that must happen any time you encounter someone you dislike is that you have to work on staying calm. I know, easier said than done, but let’s take some time to think about what happens when we get annoyed at someone.

Now imagine how that feels to the other person and what they’re thinking. They probably feel hurt and horrified that you dislike them so much! You don’t want that to happen to a person you hate. So try your best not to let yourself get annoyed in the first place.

2) Remind Yourself Of Their Positive Qualities

Maybe they’re not nice to you, but they help others. Maybe they don’t listen when someone else speaks, but when they do speak, they have good information to share. It might sound counter-intuitive to think about things when someone isn’t friendly towards us, but if we can find just one good quality in them, it becomes easier to be friendly towards them!

If you keep your mind fixed on the good, it becomes much more difficult to dislike someone. Get friendly with the positive side of people by reminding yourself of their positive qualities. Maybe they’re just having a bad day, or maybe they have an illness that isn’t obvious from the outside. Everyone has something that they’re struggling with, so remember that! Of course, some people are genuinely unpleasant and mean-spirited, so if this is the case, remind yourself of their negative qualities.

3) Go Out Of Your Way To Help Them

This sounds super cheesy, but it works – sometimes being friendly means going out of our way to help them without expecting anything in return. Sounds simple, right? We all like getting help, and we like the people who help us, so it makes sense that any time we can go out of our way to be friendly, it will make our lives easier.

If you don’t know someone very well yet, but need a friendly ear or a friendly hand at work, see what you can do for them! Don’t do anything that would put you in an uncomfortable situation (like giving them your phone number when they ask), but try to be friendly and helpful whenever you get the chance – even if it’s something small like lending your coworker a pen.

12 Ways To Deal With People Who Annoy The Crap Out Of You

PEOPLE WHO ANNOY YOU

These are the ways to deal with the people who annoy the crap out of you. Sometimes, we need to manage someone who is, what you would say, “annoys the crap out of us.” Whether they are highly unpleasant or flat-out rude, there are ways to deal with them. Some people may even try to change your attitude towards them because they know it bothers you.

1). Take a moment to ask yourself how much this person knows about the subject. When dealing with an annoying coworker, sometimes it’s best to step back and take a breath before reacting negatively toward them. Don’t immediately assume that they’re ignorant about everything, specifically if it’s with people who annoy the crap out of you.

2). Realize that this person can do better. Again, when dealing with annoying people, it helps if you take a moment to rationalize their behavior instead of getting upset about it. Maybe they don’t know any better, or maybe something is going on behind the scenes that negatively affect them. Either way, there is usually a reason for their actions, so giving them the benefit of the doubt sometimes can help manage those who annoy the crap out of you.

3). Be friendly and polite anyway; act as if nothing happened. When you’re trying to deal with an annoying person, sometimes pretending like everything is okay even though they’re bugging you can be beneficial to keep your cool (and hopefully, they’ll do the same). After all, you don’t want to escalate things with this person or let their attitude have control over you.

4). Hold back your anger and try to understand why they are acting out. Just because someone is annoying doesn’t mean you should react by lashing out at them. Be patient with them if possible and find an opportunity where you can talk about the situation in a friendly manner without letting it become hostile or aggressive. Having two open ears instead of two flaring nostrils will allow both parties to be heard while managing people who annoy the crap out of you.

5). Be direct with them – tell them how their actions make you feel, but avoid being aggressive or derogatory. Often, people who annoy the crap out of you haven’t realized that they are doing it and will be receptive if given a friendly reminder — do so in a way where you’re not attacking them as a person.

6). Be friendly and gracious about it. When dealing with an annoying person, it’s best to take the high road and not stoop down to their level. This can include keeping your anger in check, listening to what they have to say, and maintaining your composure instead of lashing back at them.

7). Smile! It may seem simple, but sometimes smiling at someone or even making friendly small talk can go a long way in helping your cause of handling the annoying person. If they ask what’s wrong or why you’re not friendly, tell them that it has nothing to do with them; you just had a bad morning or something like that.

8). Do things their way. Having patience and understanding is one thing, but sometimes the only option is to put on your big boy/big girl pants and be okay with dealing with this person–for now at least. This can mean not arguing about every decision they make, taking time to explain whatever idea they are proposing (even if it sounds ridiculous), or even putting up with some of their antics like teasing to keep things friendly (while keeping social boundaries, of course).

9). Avoid discussing their quirks or annoying habits. Some people may think that the only way to deal with an annoying person is to bring up their grating characteristics and confront them directly. However, this is sometimes counterproductive because it forces the other party to become defensive, leading to a conflict that you don’t want.

10). Let them know how their actions affect you, but do so in a friendly manner. No one likes being nagged or having someone complain about what they’re doing (especially if they are trying not to be annoying in the first place), but avoiding people who annoy the crap out of you isn’t always possible. If you need some friendly advice on how to better manage these types of people without falling into conflict yourself, then here are some friendly tips on avoiding conflict with people who annoy the crap out of you.

11). Offer friendly advice. The best way to deal with someone annoying is often by offering friendly advice to them without actually telling them that they’re annoying or need to change (especially if this has already been done before). If handled correctly, friendly advice can help motivate people to stop being annoying because it may help them realize what they’re doing and why others find it irritating.

12). Be friendly even when you would rather not be. When dealing with an annoying person, sometimes the only thing you can do is put your big boy/big girl pants on and act like nothing happened even though you are screaming at them inside your head to stop being annoying. This can mean smiling and friendly small talk, hiding your anger so as not to fuel the fire of their annoying ways, or even biting your tongue when they say something that annoys you (even though you feel like yelling at them).

In conclusion

there are many ways to deal with annoying people, but the most important thing to remember is always to stay calm.

Next time you need a reminder not to be annoying, come back here and reread this article.