Why everyone's getting on your nerves

Someone asked a normal question and you heard an accusation. A drawer left open, and you felt it in your jaw. A stranger took one second too long, and you were furious. Twenty minutes later comes the sick feeling of being unfair to someone who did nothing. You're starting to wonder what's wrong with you.

Nothing's wrong with you. The short fuse is a symptom, and symptoms fade. Irritability is one of the most common parts of stepping away from nicotine. What moved is your threshold, not your character. Right now you're a car alarm that goes off when a leaf lands on it. Everything arrives at full volume. The sensitivity settles as you heal, even when you can't feel it moving.

The cigarette used to pass for patience. Mostly it was refilling what it had drained. Now you get to grow the real thing, two seconds at a time. When the spark hits, breathe in once, breathe out once, then speak. The fuse is quick, and two seconds is often enough to let it fizzle. You're not aiming for calm. You're aiming for slow.

When you miss, apologize the same day. Short and specific. That was me, not you. I'm sorry. Then let it be finished. Shame piled on a short fuse only shortens it. Ask God for patience in the small rooms, where most of a life happens. He's already in there with you. Two seconds at a time, you're growing a patience nothing has to refill.