Here recently it seems like everything just gets under my skin so quickly and easily. It’s not that I get mad and take it out on others, it’s just the fact that I’m constantly annoyed and stressed. Something as simple as the dogs tracking some mud through the house will just ruin my mood. I know some people who would just laugh it off and clean it up. Meanwhile I’ll get pissed that I didn’t wipe their feet and be mad the entire time I’m cleaning it up. This has nothing to do with the dogs, it just an example. Any number of seemingly insignificant things can trigger me like that. Like forgetting something at the store and having to go back. I would love to be able to go, “well that sucks” and just get over it.
I don’t know.
There’s a lot of things I’ve stopped giving an emotional fuck about. One of the biggest drivers of that change is that I’ve realized that getting angry at someone or about something has pretty much a 100% failure rate in effecting the change I want to see. If anything it makes things worse. So taking several steps back, or just flat out walking away, is often the best choice. Especially if the issue has no real life benefit that necessitates dealing with it.
Note: that’s pretty much 100% of internet/social media interactions. That doesn’t mean I don’t engage, I do, just that stupidity shouldn’t go unchallenged. I don’t expect anyone to change, though.
That also doesn’t mean there aren’t things worth getting angry about as long as you can direct that anger into something constructive and beneficial, like getting your ass out to vote. Stepping up and participating in a protest against hateful people. Standing up to your employer in a strike so you can be treated, and paid, like you deserve to be.
It’s not easy to walk away. I lose the battle often enough and get wrapped up in the emotions far too often. Stress will make you stumble and fall into the anger trap. Being tired. Or just stupidity. You start wanting to be right instead of doing what is right. We all fuck up. Learn from it. Move on. Let more things go.
E: I guess this is more life in general rather than a muddy floor issue. People say “don’t sweat the little stuff”, but pretty often that’s the hardest to avoid. It’s the little things grinding at you day after day that wear you down, stress you out. Shitty work hours. Low pay. high rent. Noisy neighbors. Irritating co-workers. Sometimes breaking out of the rut can help. Take up a low-cost hobby, head to a gym, go walk or hike somewhere away from people. Allow your mind to take a break and reset if possible.