How To Not Let Things Bother You In 2023

We all have to manage stress throughout our lives. Learning how to not let little things bother you can save you a lot of time and energy. Sometimes there are small annoyances in our day that we could easily get upset over.

There’s nothing wrong with getting angry every now and then. The point is to recognize that some things aren’t worth getting that angry about.

Sometimes, you can just hold back the urge of negativity, let the small things go, and keep having happiness in your day. Here are a few techniques that can help you do that.

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How do I stop letting things bother me?

1. Accept what you can’t control

There’s no use staying angry about something that you can’t fix or change. Let’s say you’re stuck in a traffic jam that’s going to make you late for school or work.

You could stay bothered and upset about it until the traffic jam is over, or you could just accept it and put on some of your favorite music while you wait.

You’ll save a lot of energy in life choosing not to let things you can’t control bother you. Instead, spend most of your time focusing on what’s in your control.

2. Put things in perspective

One of the best tips I can give you on how not to let tiny things annoy you is to put whatever you’re annoyed with in perspective. If someone spilled something on your shirt by accident, is that the end of the world? Sure, you might not like that you’re wet and your shirt is stained, but guess what?

Your shirt will dry up, and you can wash the stain out later. It’s important to remember that if something is wrong now, it’s not wrong forever. Things can be fixed.

Additionally, there’s that 5 year rule we’re all familiar with. As a matter of fact, I think a year will do just enough of the trick. Anything that won’t matter a year from now, try not to let it affect you for more than a minute.

I understand in the moment it feels like it really matters. But in the next moment, and then the moments after that, we know it’s not really going to annoy us anymore. Why not get a head start and just let that small thing go now.

3. Journal your frustrations

If you happen to have your journal with you right when something bothers you, you can pull it out, and write down what bothered you. It’s a good way to do some self-care journaling. After you finish writing out all your grievances, you can close the book and move on from thinking about it.

4. Forgive yourself of your mistakes

One common thing people can be bothered with is their own mistakes. It could be a mistake that maybe made your day more difficult.

It could also be incident that you’ve struggled to get over for years. You have to forgive yourself for what you did.

You’re not perfect. Nobody is. We’re all generally trying to do the best we can with the knowledge and skills we have.

The best way you can handle your mistakes is to learn from them. Recognize what you can do better in the future.

Being reflective about your previous decisions will help you to make better decisions moving forward. Here’s a good article on how to forgive yourself if it’s something you struggle with.

5. Focus on gratitude

Focus on the things you’re thankful for. Studies have shown giving thanks can help us to feel happier.

Take a moment to remind yourself of all the things going well in your day. Reflect on the things you’re glad about in your life. Doing this will help shift your mind from annoyance to joy.

6. Take a breath

phone screen with the word breathe on it

Taking slow, deep, calm breaths has long been a recommended technique for getting relief in stressful moments. There are many breathing exercises out there that you can try.

The next time something spills on the ground and you feel yourself wanting to react, just stop, and take a deep breath. It may help slow your reaction down just enough to where whatever just got on your nerves, you can just let it go.

7. Think about other things

There are some bothersome moments in life we can’t quite get away from immediately. Whether you’re stuck in traffic or in a loud environment, sometimes you’re just stuck dealing with something that bothers you longer than you want.

The way I deal with these moments is I try to think about other things. Look at it this way.

You focusing on how angry you are about something that can’t change immediately isn’t going to make it change faster. Why waste the energy with anger when you can just reserve your energy.

Instead, think about some positive things you look forward to when you can get away from the small thing that’s annoying you. While that won’t change the situation, it’ll at least help distract you from it in a more positive way.

8. Fix the problem quick

In other situations, there may be something that bothers you which you can fix immediately. Rather than blowing up about something small that you notice is wrong, just fix it. Not only do you eliminate the problem by going ahead and fixing it, but you save your time and energy that you would have wasted just being upset.

9. Laugh things off

This tip on on being unbothered is one that I’ve used pretty often. In particular, I use this technique with people.

Sometimes people will poke fun at you or even intentionally try to make you feel bad for whatever reason. I learned in high school just to laugh at the jokes people would crack on me

Why should I be upset by what other people say about me? I know who I am and that’s all that matters.

The same is true for you too. You don’t have to be annoyed by what people say about you, and you also don’t have to be annoyed by minor mistakes you make.

Just laugh it off and move it along. Now of course in more serious situations involving abusive language or bullying, you should seek help, as that’s no laughing matter.

10. Be patient

When I’m in a situation where there’s something aggravating me, I try to focus on being patient. The thing you may be frustrated with in the moment may be something that won’t last much longer.

You don’t have to let five minutes of something that annoyed you, turn into a whole day of being in a bad mood. Wait, and when it’s over, be glad and move on to enjoying your day.

11. Empathize with other people

Sometimes it can help to think about the perspective of the other person that may be responsible for annoying you. Imagine this scenario.

A waitress at a restaurant takes your order, and then comes back with the wrong order. You could get really angry at the server, or you could consider their perspective. Maybe it’s their first day on the job or maybe they’ve got a lot on their mind.

People aren’t always annoying us intentionally. Learn to forgive quickly if something someone did was not that big of a deal.

12. Get out of the situation

This is a good last resort if you’re really struggling to not react in anger over something small. If it’s possible for you to do, just get up and walk away. Some fresh air outside could help you cool off enough to let go of whatever small thing tempted you to react angrily.

13. Manage your expectations

Sometimes an expectation of perfection can cause you to be more easily aggravated by a tiny thing that’s not the way you want. Learn to accept that not everything will always be perfect.

Be okay with minor flaws. If things look and feel good overall, maybe that can be enough to be satisfied sometimes.

14. Exercise to blow off some steam

If you still find yourself annoyed with something in your day, you can blow off steam through exercise. Whether it’s lifting weights or running, do something that helps you let go of negative emotions. Read about some of the best exercises you can do to ease stress.

15. Use music to calm yourself

Throughout my life, I’ve always found music as a good way to help deal with any negative feelings I have. If you have headphones to plug into a device, you can listen to some of your favorite songs to help cheer yourself up.

How do you stop letting people affect you?

While people’s words and actions can sometimes be hurtful, we have to recognize that it isn’t necessarily a reflection of who we are. People are mean or rude for a variety of reasons outside of us.

They might be having a bad day or maybe they experienced a lot of hurtful things in life that made them a less kind person. The best way you can stop letting people affect you is to just not take things personally.

That means recognizing when you’ve done nothing to deserve the negative energy you’re getting, and accepting that sometimes people are just mean. When and where you can, do your part to avoid those people and focus on things that make you happy in life.

How do I stop getting upset over little things?

The best way to choose not to get upset over things that are little is to recognize that those things are just that. They’re little. A lot of things we get mad, frustrated, or annoyed about today we likely won’t think much about tomorrow.

It may not completely change the feeling you have in the moment, but it could help you calm down a little. Ultimately, you have to make the choice to move on from things and enjoy your life.

How to be unbothered in a relationship

There’s a tricky balance between what should and shouldn’t upset you in a relationship. Every person has their own quirks, and no one in life will ever be or act exactly the way you want.

We all have to learn to not let certain things about our partner annoy us, because no one’s perfect. If we’re not annoyed by a person in general, then it’s okay to let certain things go.

Now in some cases, there are things that may seem small to your partner, that are big to you. Those are issues you have to voice. If your partner really cares about you, even if it’s something that doesn’t seem major to them, they’ll do their best to not do that thing that really annoys you.

How to be unbothered at work

Learning to not be annoyed by things at work can be tough. You can’t exactly get away from an unpleasant boss or difficult work colleague unless you quit.

Unfortunately, not everyone has the luxury of having enough money to do that. I would suggest using the techniques of taking a breath and thinking about other things.

You can’t afford to blow up at work, because that could cost you your job. Taking a breath will help you avoid that.

It can also help to think of when you’ll finally get off work and be able to get away from the situation. You can think of what you plan to do afterwards as a way to keep you motivated in pushing through your workday.

How to not let things get to your head

One way to not let things get to your head is to talk them out. Find a close person in your life you can share what’s on your mind.

You should also use the technique of putting things in perspective. Remember, if it’s not going to affect you months or years from now, it doesn’t have to be something that gets to your head.

How do I not let things affect me?

Choosing not to let things affect you takes practice. It also takes a desire to not want to be slowed down in your day by things that don’t matter. You probably want to accomplish great things in your day sometimes.

Don’t let minor aggravations in life win and keep you from achieving your greatness. Show those small annoying things in life that you won’t be stopped, and that you will accomplish what you set out to do.

How do I stop getting upset over small stuff?

Always try to think about the bigger picture and do what you can to stay calm, positive, and move it along. That tiny thing will barely even be a footnote in your memories as your life goes on.

Knowing how to not let the small stuff upset you is not about never getting angry. It’s about picking and choosing when it’s worth your energy to express your anger.

If it’s not worth the energy that you could use to make your life better and happier, then just let it go. You’ve got better things to focus on, and you’ve got happier moments ahead.

Motivating video on not being irritated

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How to Not Let Things Bother You in 2023