There are things that really drive us crazy. As soon as we are confronted with them, we immediately do a 180 and would like to scream and vent our anger. Sometimes it helps to get your frustration out of your head and get upset for a moment. In most cases, however, you are dealing with such small things that in the future we should perhaps learn to simply treat trifles as such. Not that easy, after all there are things in everyday lifeMany situations in which your nerves can quickly become frayed, no matter how trivial they may seem to others. Such moments are triggered by pet peevesand are completely normal, but unfortunately also quite annoying. That's why we want themfinally in the new year.
Pet peeves are the harmless little things that we get upset about in everyday life
Pet Peeves is a term that is primarily used in English and describes a phenomenon that we can all really have a say in. These are specific behaviors or habits of other people that particularly irritate, annoy or drive someone crazy, even though they are often relatively insignificant or trivial. The crux of these pet peeves is their individual design: the little annoyances are subjective and vary from person to person. What one person is a pet peeve goes completely unnoticed by another or is simply viewed as unimportant. And since these things are usually really unnecessary, it wouldn't be a bad idea to react to them a little more calmly in the future. This saves you a lot of trouble.
Pet Peeves: We all have little things that bother us massively
We don't want you with this article. On the contrary: We know the problem of Pet Peeves and if something bothers you, then it bothers you, period. The only problem with pet peeves is that you come across them again and again in everyday life and you can't always do anything about them, sometimes you just have to come to terms with them. There will always be people who stand on the right side of the escalator or rush onto the train before others can get off. Just like there are people everywhere who eat, smack their lips or breathe loudly. Or people who are untidy or don't take punctuality very seriously. All of these little things are called pet peeves once you start bothering yourself. Talking on the phone on the train, chewing gum or leaving the toilet seat up are just as common as people typing on their cell phones in the cinema or driving too slowly. This can all be annoying, sure. But really so much that you have to get really upset about it every time?
Pet Peeves yes, constant hassle no
Everyone has pet peeves, we all get annoyed by little things that don't matter to others but really drive us crazy. Some things can (hopefully) be resolved through communication, for example if the other person in the relationship puts the dirty dishes in the dishwasher and doesn't just put them in the sink. But other pet peeves aren't so easy to fix - or how do you tell that one person on the plane to please put their shoes back on? Well, it doesn't always work. Instead of stressing about it for hours, you could simply learn to be more calm. Not because you have to accept other people's behavior, but to do yourself a favor. If we constantly get upset about little things, we can't get out of the negative spiral and are constantly stressed and in a bad mood. And we really don't want to continue like this in 2025. So, more serenity, is the motto – ours and oursto love.
This way you don't have to worry about Pet Peeves all the time
Allowing, showing and clearly expressing emotions is actually a behavior that we advocate. And we don't want to deny you that. However, when it comes to Pet Peeves, sometimes it's better to just swallow the bubbling aggression and accept it calmly. Otherwise, you'll waste a lot of your life constantly getting upset about every little thing - and that shouldn't happen. That's why we've put together a few tips on how not to constantly get upset about pet peeves and how to react in a relaxed manner in one or another situation:
1. Make it clear that Pet Peeves is about the little things
If you get annoyed with people because they behave in a certain way, next time just think about what bothers them so much - and whether the problem is really dramatic or whether it might just be a pet peeve could act. Because then you should realize that you are getting upset about an often meaningless little thing. Just put that in relation to the energy expenditure that your reaction entails. Is it really worth it? If so, then feel free to continue being angry. If not, it's better to save the precious energy.
2. Heliotropismus statt Pet Peeves
The term heliotropism originally comes from botany and describes the phenomenon when plants move or align in the direction of the sun. This behavior has been adopted in psychology as a tactic to focus more on the positive - and this is exactly how you can avoid being constantly annoyed by pet peeves. Let's take the train as an example, because when traveling by train you are particularly often confronted with annoying little things. Then you should just decide to concentrate on the beautiful aspects of traveling by train (great view) or other people (cool clothes). Then you might not notice so quickly that the person at the back of the row is loudly eating an apple. Now it doesn't sound like it could really work. But it does.
3. Stay with yourself more and distract yourself
Pet peeves are behaviors in other people that can get so annoying. So why not try to stay with yourself more? Put in your headphones, open a book or if your friend at the dinner table is smacking your lips loudly again, just turn up the music. The Pet Peeve is no longer the focus.
4. Take Pet Peeve with humor
It's not always easy, but if you try to get something funny out of Pet Peeves, you'll be able to deal with them better. Isn't it funny how the one person on the left side of the escalator stops and everyone else gets upset at the back? People are predictable. Not bad at all if you sometimes aren't.
5. Change of perspective
Sometimes it helps to simply take the perspective of the person who is getting on your last nerve. The old lady who frantically gets on the train before all the other passengers can even get off may no longer be good at walking and is afraid of missing the train. The guy on the escalator may be completely lost in thought and may not realize that you shouldn't stand on the left. And your good friend may not have even noticed that she always smacks her lips so loudly while she eats that you can even hear it in the next room. Say it or endure it, but always be kind and understanding. Then there is no danger of small things suddenly becoming a major nuisance.
6. Set boundaries
And if things really go too far for you, set boundaries, communicate your displeasure or simply leave the situation. This makes it easy to avoid pet peeves and you don't have the problem of having to worry about it any further. Being pissed and angry all the time is unsexy. Stay calm and understanding? Something good guys would do.
