Irked
Ooooh, sigh, gasp, eye-roll: can you sense that irked feeling dropping in for a visit? You know it, but perhaps it’s not a feeling you quickly put your finger on. The person sitting next to you is munching on something crispy, and that just keeps nagging you away from your focus stream. Maybe one more interruption is going to push you over the edge. Or here’s a good one: that mosquito keeps buzzing around your ear, and just won’t buzz off! These little, early-stage irritations leave you feeling irked!
Irked or annoyed?
Irked or annoyed?
When these irritations happen to me, my first response might be to identify the feeling as annoyed instead of irked. What’s the difference, you ask? Irked is the mild irritation you feel that leaves you thinking it will go away in a moment. It’s an invitation to step into feeling full-on annoyed. Whereas annoyed is clear, reactive, and outward and has a sharper emotional edge.
They seem like the same thing, annoyed and irked, but there is a subtle difference. Irked doesn’t feel as intense, but feeling annoyed can lead to an outburst that could cause all kinds of chaos.
What’s the big deal, and why does it matter?
What’s the big deal, and why does it matter?
If you listened to feeling irked there’s a possibility that feeling annoyed doesn’t even need to make an appearance. Maybe feeling irked is an invitation to course correct before things get ugly. I don’t know about you, but I’d much rather realize something is bothering me and address it before I go all reactive and say or do something I might regret later.
Feeling irked is low-grade and subtle—it hums rather than shouts. It’s an early whisper rather than an alarm. When I recognize it and name it, it usually falls by the wayside, making room for other more pleasant emotions. ‘See’ what’s irking you, understand your boundaries or small misalignments, and let them go. What good ever came from getting so irked you became annoyed?
You can explore more feelings in the Stayin’ in Touch – Negative Emotions book if you’d like. You can play with these feelings when or wherever you like.
