Tired of Irritating People?
Whether it's our family members, friends, people in public or coworkers, irritating people can ruin the day!! However, it doesn't have to be that way! With increased emotional intelligence you will realize that it is your response to them that decides your mood and given that you will not (nor should you) be able to control others, keeping the focus on yourself is the most effective way of dealing with those irritations.
Easier said than done in a lot of cases, right?! Trust me, I completely understand how challenging this can be, especially when you have tried to address it with the other party and it goes nowhere. It is so natural to be affected by other people’s behaviors especially when those behaviors are directed at you or you have no choice but to surround yourself with them.
Best Course of Action
Depending on what your personal Strengths order shows up as will determine your best course of action in dealing with them. For example, I can be very impulsive yet empathetic so do I let my initial reaction and emotions get the best of me and pop off immediately? Or do I pause for a moment, take into consideration what might be causing their irritating behavior and try to understand where they are coming from before I formulate a response or even just choose to let it go? Being aware of my natural Strengths helps me to have more control over how I want to conduct myself especially in the workplace.
Due to developing a stronger emotional intelligence, I am now able to discern that it is more appropriate to let my impulsive trait take over in situations when I am not irritated. And that it’s much better for everyone involved to take a more empathetic approach especially when dealing with annoying people or situations. Sounds logical right but when in those heated moments we tend to let logic fly out the window as our tempers are flying off the handle. So having this tangible resource in the back of your mind guides you to keep you on track of being your authentic self, while setting you up for success rather than continued problems.
Why is it Up to Me?
Some of you may be thinking I shouldn’t have to be the one tiptoeing around when they are the ones being irritating. However, irritating is a relative term and for all you know, they think you are the one who is irritating to be around. Also, it is not for the sake of tiptoeing around, it is the sake of feeling better overall. When we learn how we do things best for ourselves, we can honor ourselves by managing our emotions and therefore actions in a way that leaves us feeling more at peace.
How many times have you walked away from a situation wishing you could hit the rewind button and have a “do over”? I do not live with regret but boy I sure do wish I could take some words back at times especially when I let my emotions get the best of me.
How Self-Awareness Helps
I was once described as a match - someone who lights up very quickly but fizzles out just as fast. I don’t hold grudges so when it was done, I was over it but that doesn’t mean that the person I lit into got over it or as quickly. My fiery temper quite often left scars I wasn’t even aware of. So now when I am confronted with irritating people I am much more mindful of my actions which is a perfect example of how increased self-awareness leads to improved self-management.
Letting our day be ruined because of how someone else acts does absolutely nothing to stop their behavior so why carry that frustration with you possibly letting it affect other areas of your life as well? If this resonates with you, let’s go through your personal Strengths order so you will know what is the best course of action to take for yourself so that you can feel your best no matter how irritated you may get.
