When you’re snapping at everyone over small stuff, sit alone and find the real thing bothering you.

Irritation almost always points away from its source. The dishes, the question, the way somebody chews are the nearest available targets for something else entirely. Snapping is a sign the real thing has not been looked at, and it will keep hunting for small reasons until it is.

When you notice the pattern, give yourself five minutes somewhere with a closed door. Ask what happened today that you have not dealt with, and let the first answer stand even if it seems too small. Naming it usually drops the temperature before you have solved anything.