The paradox of petty problems: Why small annoyances can snowball

2026-02-07

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Slow walkers. Unmelted cheese in a toastie. Bad formatting in documents. If these small annoyances make you weirdly mad, you're not alone (in fact, you're human). But when little pet peeves add up, they can contribute much bigger problems like chronic stress. So what can you do about it?Today: why small annoyances have such an outsized impact; why judging yourself doesn't help; and how elements of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) can help you better navigate these moments (as well as the bigger challenges in ...

Slow walkers. Unmelted cheese in a toastie. Bad formatting in documents.

If these small annoyances make you weirdly mad, you're not alone (in fact, you're human). But when little pet peeves add up, they can contribute much bigger problems like chronic stress. So what can you do about it?

Today: why small annoyances have such an outsized impact; why judging yourself doesn't help; and how elements of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) can help you better navigate these moments (as well as the bigger challenges in life).

And if you're not a fan of radical acceptance, which was covered in a recent episode, we go deeper on what it really means.

You can catch up on more episodes of the All in the Mind podcast with journalist and presenter Sana Qadar, exploring the psychology of topics like stress, memory, communication and relationships on ABC Listen or wherever you get your podcasts.

Guest:

Dr Patricia Zurita-OnaClinical psychologistAuthor

Credits: