Not letting things get to you?

[na49]

The smallest, most meaningless interactions become big deals to me. I'll sometimes cringe about them when trying to fall asleep. Things like someone honking at me while I'm driving even if I'm not doing anything wrong, a customer at work being rude to me, or me just saying/doing something stupid will set the tone of my day, and I think about it after the fact.

 

I'll wonder if I deserved to be honked at, or deserved to be treated rudely by someone who is clearly batsh*t insane, or if I really am stupid. I can't just write them off as being a waste of time, or chalk it up as a mistake.

 

Do you have any tips/advice for letting things like this go? It seems so easy in theory, and I struggle with it so much at times.

[Itsfriday]

I learnt to get over this kinda differently. these are things you'll face on a daily basis but it happens and it will continue to. These people that do things that get to you are meaningless if you know what i mean. they contribute little to your happines and well being so they deserve little attention.

 

Everything time something like this use to happen to me i use to just be like ohhh screw you. in my head ofcourse because you cant really show people those emotions or say it. but you could wipe them off in your head and it just gets easier .

 

worked for me.

[knockout33]

Try asking yourself if it's worth it to let certain things get to you. And especially since you don't know the person ask yourself are they worth it for you to even worry about. That's what I do. I think I don't care, cause don't know this person and will probably never see them again anyway.

[burnt]

a few suggestions:

 

1. "be the change that you wish to see in the world". I get REALLY annoyed when I find myself trying to make a turn and no car slowing down to let me in. So, whenever I see a car trying to make a turn, I stop, IGNORE all the honkers behind me who get annoyed. And I'm the one who receives the smile and waive from the guy I let in. It's the best peaceful revenge. So if people are honking at you on the road for no reason, go out of your way to be nice to others on the road in whatever way you can. If a customer is being rude, go out of your way to smile and be nice to that person.

As a cashier, that was my best defense--smile and kill the nasty customers with SUPER kindness. It worked like charm.

 

I disagree with Itsfriday; calling/thinking someone meaningless won't dissipate the anger, it will only reinforce the anger in the long run.

 

2. Every time someone is nasty to you, like a customer, tell yourself this person is going through the worst day of his life--like he just lost a loved one, or lost his job. Even if it's not true, there's a 1% chance it could be true.

 

3. And here's the last suggestion--it's not mine, but it's FABULOUS.

Please do read it, it's hilarious. It's piece about someone getting annoyed about the grammatical misuse of the words "a lot", and finds a funny way to deal with it. The idea the author used is clever--you will get a laugh out of it at the least.