Why does everything irritate me? If this is how you feel, then there is a chance you might be suffering from anxiety. Anxiety isn’t just about feeling afraid, it is a host of negative emotions that contribute to changes in personality. These changes can make it harder for you to interact with others. One of the negative emotions you’re likely to feel is annoyance. Most people who suffer from anxiety have bouts of annoyance that make them irritable. This increases chances of disagreements with those around them.

What Are the Reasons for Feeling Irritated?

Wondering why you’re always feeling annoyed. It’s simply because you’re anxious. Anxiety can become a source of annoyance since its something that is constantly nagging you, putting you on edge and taking over your thoughts and emotions. Below are some of the reasons for your irritation.

1. 1. Feeling on Edge

Feelings of anxiety are usually a way for your body to prepare you for anger. This is why it often leads to annoyance. Your body is basically in a fight or fight mode where it’s primed to deal with a predator. When you are at this point of annoyance, things and people around you become a source of distraction or inconvenience. For this reason, you respond to them in a manner similar to how you would respond if you were in danger and something or someone was trying to distract you.

2. 2. Lack of a Positive Outlook

Why does everything irritate me? Well, it’s probably because you have a negative outlook towards life. Anxiety can make it hard for you to feel positive emotions like laughter and happiness. You are completely isolated from the emotions associated with events around you. Therefore, things that would normally bring you joy and make you smile are no longer enjoyable. As a result, most things become irritants and you’re constantly annoyed and mean to those around you.

3. 3. Others Don’t Understand You

Most times, you feel that those around you do not understand what you are going through. This leaves you feeling isolated and lonely. When compounded with your feelings of anxiety and annoyance, it becomes a recipe for disaster. Everyone around you keeps telling you everything is okay while deep down you know things are not. This makes you irritable and angry about others not being able to fix your issues.

4. 4. Progressive Negative Emotions

When you are anxious, you tend to look at things as getting progressively worse. You focus more on the negative aspects of your life and all you seem to see is that you’re worse off than you were. With time, all these negative issues pile up and become a source of annoyance. If not well managed such a situation could blow up and lead to depression.

5. 5. Reacting to Stress

There are times when you can snap at someone or get very angry, not because you are angry at the said person but because they are causing an increase in your stress levels. Anything that increases your stress levels can make your anxiety feel much worse.  For instance, when you’re trying to talk to someone but they can’t hear you, you usually feel a bit frustrated. However, you usually won’t notice it and will proceed to repeat what you said. The same situation can get out of hand when you are anxious since the frustration levels are amplified. You might snap at the person or get extremely annoyed at them.

6. 6. Brain Chemistry

Anxiety also changes your brain chemistry such that you respond to events differently than you would if you weren’t anxious. Your feelings of annoyance could be down to the way your brain interprets whatever is going on around you.   

Tips for Reducing Anxiety and Dealing with Annoyance

1. 1. Focus on the Present

Why does everything irritate me? Anxiety is usually bred by focusing too much on the future. Avoid worrying about what is going to happen by focusing on what is happening right now. You should not let distant scenarios ruin your day or throw you off track.

2. 2. Fact Check Your Thoughts

If you suffer from anxiety, you are likely to blow things out of proportion since you tend to focus on the worst-case scenario. For example, if you are worried about a presentation you’re expected to make at work, you should try to reframe your thoughts from “I will fail” to “I’m prepared and everything will be okay”. Get into a habit of rethinking your fears and you’ll be well on your way to dealing with anxiety.

3. 3. Regular Exercise

To help keep your thinking in check, you need to take up exercising. When you exercise, your body releases endorphins. These are neurotransmitters that help foster positive thinking and relaxation. By working out every day, you will create a calmer and less anxious mindset at a chemical level.

4. 4. Reduce Caffeine Intake

Anxiety is usually accompanied by feelings of being keyed up all day and sleeplessness. If this is you, you might want to steer clear of caffeinated products including coffee and chocolate. This is because it might aggravate an already bad situation.

5. 5. Avoid Sugar

It’s usually tempting to eat sweet foods when you are stressed and anxious. Research shows that taking too much sugar can worsen feelings of anxiety. Instead of stuffing your body with sweet stuff, make a habit of drinking a glass of water whenever you’re tempted to reach into the cookie jar.

Why does everything irritate me? Now you know the answer as well as ways to deal with it properly.