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The paradox of petty problems: Why small annoyances can snowball

All In The Mind

29m
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Original podcast

About this episode

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: Presenter/producer: Sana QadarSenior producer: James BullenProducer: Rose KerrSound engineer: Roi HubermanMore information: Relationship of daily hassles, uplifts, and major life events to health status https://psycnet.apa.org/record/1983-05622-001The peculiar longevity of things not so bad https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/14717826/Patricia's website and resources https://www.thisisdoctorz.com/Other recommended listening: Chronically stressed? These small changes can help https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/allinthemind/lifestyle-medicine-chronic-stress/105376644Difficult people and radical acceptance: answering your questions about tricky relationships https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/allinthemind/difficult-people-mailbag-questions/105872190

Transcript

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29:22

4,995 words · 8 speakers

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