Everyday habits that annoy others
Alice* is always careful about how she conducts herself in public. She knows there are habits that we have that irritate others. Sometimes we annoy people because of the things we do without even realising it.
When yawning for example, Alice makes sure she covers her mouth, although she may do so differently when in the comfort of her home.
“I understand that there are people who find nose picking irritating…(laughs) I never used to think so but since I heard it was, a few years ago, I always make sure I do it the way that is considered right,” says Alice.
We look at some of the habits that many find irritating and how to avoid them.
Public spitting
Public spitting is perhaps the most common and embarrassing habit. This happens around and among us from time to time. Dr Julius Twoli from Bagamoyo district hospital says, there are bacteria and viruses that can be spread through spitting.
He says, people with chest infection get the urge to spit more often without knowing that they could be spreading germs.
“It can go beyond and result to tuberculosis and flu infections as such diseases are spread through air transmission.”
The doctor says patients with the urge to spit more often should always think of others before they do so. He calls upon parents and teachers to educate children from a young age about the health risks of spitting in public as a way of raising a free public spitting society.
Talking while eating: Speaking while eating can be very disgusting. Nutrionist Odria Lumambo from Sanitas Hospital in Mikocheni says, apart from being disgusting, chewing while eating can result to poor digestion.
Undigested food causes bloating which leads to burping, another habit that makes you irritating if done inappropriately.
It is advisable, therefore to eat with your mouth shut and chew slowly until the food is liquefied. The expert says if it is important to talk, you can talk after you have swallowed the food in your mouth.
Burping
You are having lunch with friends when all of a sudden, someone burps out loud without covering their mouth. While the rest of you go silent, the person who just burped continues talking as if nothing happened. He is not aware that the rest of you were annoyed by his burp.
Although it’s natural, burping out loud is considered bad manners especially when done during meals. You can avoid being a nuisance to others by silencing your burp or burping into your napkin.
Dr Julius says, burping is caused by gas in the abdomen from the swallowed air in the digestive system. He says most people are ignorant that such habits are irritating and so they take things lightly. He advises drinking ginger, eating spinach and lemon water to avoid bloating which leads to burping.
Eating and drinking slowly as well as avoiding or talking less while chewing helps avoid swallowing unwanted air and reduces the possibility of burping unexpectedly. If it is necessary to burp one can excuse oneself after or before doing so.
Nose picking
This action is performed with the aim of removing dried nasal secretion. Sometimes people do it very much aware they are doing it, only that they think no one is paying attention.
According to en.wikipedia.org, nose picking is an extremely widespread habit and some surveys indicate that it is almost universal, with people picking their nose on average about four times a day.
Sheila Salehe, 23, a Law student at the University of Dar Es Salaam says the moment she starts picking her nose, she remembers how it irks some people and quickly uses her handkerchief to remove the mucous.
Dar es Salaam-based psychologist, Bonaventura Balige, says what annoys people about nose picking is the fact that people do it with bare hands. The dried mucous contains germs and normally people don’t wash their hands after digging their nose.
Balige suggests cleaning the nose twice a day during bath by using a clean piece of cloth. One should soak a piece of cloth in warm water and use the index finger to slowly clean inside the nose.
This, the psychologist says will remove all the dried mucus and that it reduce chances of people digging their noses.
If it is necessary then one should just excuse themselves and do it in the toilet and clean their hands afterwards.
Gum chewing
Gum chewing sets some people off. It all depends on how, where and when you do it. Although chewing gum is said to have health benefits, it can be considered rude when done while talking to a respectable person. You don’t chew gum while talking to your parent, your elders and the likes. Also chewing gum in a meeting, in church or in class is inappropriate.
Interrupting a conversation
Some people are just good at interrupting others when in deep conversation. Some people do so for good reasons, only that they are not patient enough to let others finish talking.
Balige says it is important to tell someone who interrupts your conversation in a polite way that you are still talking and that they should wait. Balige says sometimes it is important to just keep talking even when one interrupts just to show them that what they are doing is inappropriate.
“Telling them to hold on as you continue talking to the other person will make them realise what they are doing is wrong.”
Balige mentions the failure to keep time as another common annoying habit. He says it is import to keep time since it annoys the person who makes an effort to be punctual while you show up late. This habit disqualifies you professionally.
Other habits that people find rude include picking things from the office fridge which do not belong to you. This is a common habit and such people rarely put things in the fridge for others to pick just like they enjoy doing. Another annoying habit is touching other people’s food, especially in the office, with dirty hands.
* Name changed.
Email: [email protected]
