Life is stressful—but not always for the reasons you’d expect. According to new research, it’s not the big events that trigger the most stress. It’s the little things.
From running into someone you’d rather avoid in public to getting a knock at the door when you’re in no shape to host, or even dealing with glacially slow Wi-Fi—those seemingly minor moments often cause the most tension. And increasingly, people are turning to things like CBD gummies to help manage that ever-building pressure.
During a recent discussion, our contributors shared their personal pet peeves and how they deal with stress.
Sue Abramowitz said one of her biggest annoyances is when people use two negatives in the same sentence. “I know, it drives my husband nuts,” she joked, laughing. Her go-to stress relief? Reading. “I’ll sit down with one of the latest books I’m into, and it calms me down. It helps me let go.”
Stephanie Green shared a different stress trigger: loud public phone conversations on speaker. “It bugs me so much,” she said. “I don’t know why it gets to me, but it does. I try to internally make fun of it and move on—because I don’t want to be annoyed at people I don’t even know. But it’s hard.”
And then there are those moments that just catch you off guard—like overhearing someone behind you at a sporting event ramble on about their golf game while you’re trying to watch the actual game. As one contributor put it: “We don’t care. But thank you. We just don’t care.”
Stress might be unavoidable, but how we respond makes all the difference. Whether it’s humor, reading, or walking away—finding your way to decompress can make the little things just a little less overwhelming.
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By: Fred Roggin
June 9, 2025
