Little Irritations

We’ve all been there. It can happen on a mountain trail, in a parking lot, on a neighborhood or city street. You’re walking along – minding your own business – when you notice that you have a rock in your sock. Where did it come from? How did it get there? The level of discomfort associated with this circumstance can range from mild irritation to excruciating pain, and the reaction to the discomfort can vary as well.

If the irritation is minor, you may continue to walk, thinking that the annoyance will go away. Perhaps the rock will move to a place where it won’t be as uncomfortable. Maybe you can convince yourself that it’s not too bad and that you can live with it. Maybe if you just ignore it, the pain will stop. Or perhaps, by some miracle, the rock will simply jump out of your sock just as mysteriously as it jumped in. No matter what your thoughts, unless you take action, it will still be there, causing you to be vexed and distracted from the business at hand.

Here’s the truth. You can play all the mental games you want, but the only real solution is to stop, sit down, take off your shoe, and take the rock out of your sock. Only then can your get rid of the irritation and put your mind to rest.

The same principle applies to a long list of daily annoyances that we ignore, hoping they’ll somehow get resolved or simply go away. But they never do. The loose drawer handle that exasperates you every time you see it. The item you intend to return that’s been in your car for weeks. The phone call that you’ve been putting off. The handle, the item to be returned, the phone call – all quick, easy tasks that, if done, would remove them from your mind. Yet, by ignoring these simple chores, you allow them to hang around and become lingering irritants that continue to vex you over and over again. The drawer handle requires nothing more than a screwdriver and about three minutes of your time. Returning the item – simple. You know what do it. It’s just a matter of doing it. The phone call – easy.

The hard part is stopping, right? The argument is, “I don’t have time to stop”. But not doing so raises your level of frustration, drains your energy, and the tasks remain undone.

Do you have a rock in your sock? If you’re like most of us, you probably have several. Stop. Make a list. Allocate some time (probably less time than you think) and create a plan for checking those little irritants off the list. When you get rid of the rocks, you’ll be less stressed and enjoy some sweet relief.

?2021 Julie Alexander