{"id":119048,"date":"2020-05-12T11:00:50","date_gmt":"2020-05-12T10:00:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/?p=119048"},"modified":"2023-03-07T19:20:15","modified_gmt":"2023-03-07T19:20:15","slug":"irritability-factor","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/irritability-factor.htm","title":{"rendered":"The Irritability Factor &#8211; How to Calm Down (or Why You Can&#8217;t)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\"><strong><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright wp-image-119052\" src=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-content\/uploads\/priscilla-du-preez-_TGDr3nPLSY-unsplash-1-400x266.jpg\" alt=\"irritability\" width=\"344\" height=\"229\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-content\/uploads\/priscilla-du-preez-_TGDr3nPLSY-unsplash-1-400x266.jpg 400w, https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-content\/uploads\/priscilla-du-preez-_TGDr3nPLSY-unsplash-1-500x332.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-content\/uploads\/priscilla-du-preez-_TGDr3nPLSY-unsplash-1-180x120.jpg 180w, https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-content\/uploads\/priscilla-du-preez-_TGDr3nPLSY-unsplash-1.jpg 709w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 344px) 100vw, 344px\" \/><\/strong><span style=\"color: #333399;\">by Andrea M. Darcy<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\"><strong>Been on edge of late?<\/strong> Snapping at others without meaning too, and just feeling all around<a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/i-hate-change-management.htm\"> frustrated<\/a>? <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><em>What can you do when grumpiness has you in its hold? And when is irritability a sign of something more serious?\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">What causes irritability?<\/span><\/h2>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\"><b>We can all be grumpy if we are <\/b>\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/causes-of-exhaustion.htm\">tired<\/a>, or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/psychology-of-food.htm\">hungry<\/a>. And medical issues, such as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/menopause-anxiety.htm\">hormonal changes<\/a>, anemia, or the onset of dementia, can be a cause. So rule out physical and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/medically-unexplained-symptoms-counselling.htm\">medical issues<\/a> first.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><span style=\"color: #333399;\">Some of us are also naturally prone to being irritable. A<span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC3660701\/\"> British twin study<\/a> <\/span>found that irritability leading to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/depression-symptoms.htm\">depression<\/a> had a genetic proponent.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\"><strong>Otherwise, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/i-hate-change-management.htm\">life changes<\/a> are often the driver for irritability. The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/quiz-stressed-or-depressed\">stress<\/a> of things like<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/truth-about-grief-and-bereavement.htm\">losing a loved one<\/a>, having to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/moving-abroad-cause-depression.htm\">move country<\/a>, or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/unemployment-improving-self-esteem.htm\">being made redundant<\/a> pushes us to our limits, and forces us to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/what-is-resilience.htm\">adapt<\/a> faster than is comfortable.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\" style=\"color: #800080;\">The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/global-pandemic-anxiety.htm\">Covid-19 pandemic<\/a> has left many of us irritable, with good reason. We have had to lose access to go-to comforts like seeing <a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/i-feel-so-alone.htm\">friends<\/a> or working off steam at the gym, and we have less privacy and more interaction with those we live with than we are accustomed to. Or we might just be <a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/7-surprising-reasons-feeling-lonely.htm\">lonely<\/a> and wondering when this all ends.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<h2 class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">When is your bad mood a big deal? <\/span><\/h2>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\"><strong>Irritability can affect our<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/negative-thoughts.htm\">self-esteem<\/a>. We feel guilty for our grumpiness. And if we <\/span><span class=\"s1\">allow irritability to become <a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/anger-issues-signs.htm\">anger<\/a> and lash out enough at those we love, or even <a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/is-dealing-with-difficult-colleagues-affecting-your-mental-wellbeing.htm\">those we work with<\/a>, it can <a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/emotional-intensity-relationships.htm\">damage our relationships<\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\"><strong>If irritability is long-term and a consistent problem,<\/strong> it can also be a big deal as it can signify a<a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/what-is-mental-health.htm\"> mental health issue<\/a> (more on that below).<\/span><\/p>\n<p><em><span style=\"color: #808080;\">[*Note that chronic irritability in children and adolescents is a different and serious issue that &#8220;predicts suicidality, social impairment, and depressive and anxiety disorders in adulthood.&#8221; (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC4476313\/\">Leibenluft and Stoddard<\/a>]. If this is an issue for your child, consider speaking with a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/child-psychologist-london.htm\">child psychologist<\/a>.]<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">How to manage your irritation<\/span><\/h2>\n<p class=\"p1\"><em><span class=\"s1\">When it comes to stress-related irritability, what can be done? <\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"s2\" style=\"color: #993366;\">1. Get honest about the source of your grumpiness. <\/span><\/h3>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Are you deep down <a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/leave-unhappy-relationship.htm\">feeling trapped in your relationship<\/a>? <a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/my-job-is-killing-me-losing-the-will-to-live.htm\">Sick of your job<\/a>? Or is your partner working from home making you crazy? Getting honest about the source of our changing mood can itself feel a big relief. <\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_119054\" style=\"width: 410px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-content\/uploads\/6812988091_0696e481d7.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-119054\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-119054\" src=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-content\/uploads\/6812988091_0696e481d7-400x300.jpg\" alt=\"irritability and grumpiness\" width=\"400\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-content\/uploads\/6812988091_0696e481d7-400x300.jpg 400w, https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-content\/uploads\/6812988091_0696e481d7.jpg 500w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-119054\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">By: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/mrsdkrebs\/6812988091\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\" \">Denise Krebs<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n<p class=\"p1\"><em><span class=\"s1\">TRY THIS: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/how-to-use-a-self-help-journal.htm\">Journal<\/a> about what you think is causing your bad mood and then read what you wrote aloud. How does it sit in your body? Does it &#8216;feel&#8217; true? If not, keep writing.\u00a0<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<h3 class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\" style=\"color: #993366;\">2. Engage in self-compassion. <\/span><\/h3>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\"><strong>Again, one of irritability&#8217;s nastiest side effects is <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/why-do-i-feel-guilty-all-the-time.htm\">guilt<\/a>. We worry we are a \u2018<a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/am-i-a-good-person.htm\">bad person<\/a>\u2019, or \u2018letting others down\u2019 by being miserable.<a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/self-compassion.htm\"> Self-compassion<\/a> means extending the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/sympathy-and-empathy.htm\">empathy<\/a>\u00a0you\u2019d offer a friend to yourself. <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><em><span class=\"s1\">TRY THIS: Write a letter to a friend having a similar tough time, offering them understanding. Then change the name at the top to your own and read it aloud. <\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<h3 class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\" style=\"color: #993366;\">3. Lower expectations. <\/span><\/h3>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">The less we expect, the less there is to be upset about. <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><em><span class=\"s1\">TRY THIS: Write down all your <a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/high-expectations.htm\">expectations<\/a> then try to cross out all but three. How would it feel if this was all you expected from life and others at the moment? <\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<h3 class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\" style=\"color: #993366;\">4. Talk about how you feel.\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n<blockquote>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\" style=\"color: #333399;\">Our irritability can be something we hold against ourselves far more than those around us do, but our guilt can convince us otherwise. And the less we admit we know there is a problem, the more irritable we feel.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p class=\"p1\"><em><span class=\"s1\">TRY THIS: Reach out to those around you and admit that you know you are grumpy. Allow them to offer their <a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/giving-constructive-feedback.htm\">feedback<\/a> and understanding. If they can\u2019t, work out <a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/healthy-boundaries.htm\">boundaries<\/a> between you so you can both do your best without more <a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/how-to-navigate-conflict.htm\">conflict<\/a>. <\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<h3 class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\" style=\"color: #993366;\">2. Action and acceptance.<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/acceptance-and-commitment-therapy-london.htm\">Acceptance and commitment therapy<\/a> believes that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/depression-vs-sadness.htm\">low moods<\/a> are connected to<a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/avoidance-coping-depression.htm\"> avoiding<\/a> over accepting what is going on, which stops us from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/how-to-set-goals-that-work.htm\">committing to the actions that can move us forward<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><em><span class=\"s1\">TRY THIS: Make one list of all the things you can\u2019t change about the situation, and one of all the things you can. If it feels symbolic and helpful, rip up the list of things you can\u2019t change. Then use something like<a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/goal-setting-in-therapy.htm\"> SMART goals<\/a> to make a list of action steps towards positive change. What small step can you do today? <\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<h3 class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\" style=\"color: #993366;\">4. Grow time. <\/span><\/h3>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Whatever it is you are dealing with that is frustrating you &#8212; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/anticipatory-grief-covid19.htm\">moving through grief<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/moving-abroad-cause-depression.htm\">adjusting to a new country<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wrong-career-path.htm\">finding a new job<\/a> &#8211;when is it you expect a solution by? <\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_119055\" style=\"width: 284px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-content\/uploads\/8353403250_c53dd8ae0b.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-119055\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-119055\" src=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-content\/uploads\/8353403250_c53dd8ae0b-274x400.jpg\" alt=\"irritability\" width=\"274\" height=\"400\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-content\/uploads\/8353403250_c53dd8ae0b-274x400.jpg 274w, https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-content\/uploads\/8353403250_c53dd8ae0b.jpg 342w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 274px) 100vw, 274px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-119055\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">By: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/davidrosenphotography\/8353403250\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\" \">David Rosen<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n<p class=\"p1\"><em><span class=\"s1\">TRY THIS: Double the time container you come up with. So six months becomes a year. How much less stressful does it feel if you have more time? <\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<h3 class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\" style=\"color: #993366;\">5. Do your best with wellbeing. <\/span><\/h3>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">We all know that things like <a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/alcohol-and-depression.htm\">alcohol<\/a>, junk food binges, and too much caffeine raise irritability. And that exercise,<a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/food-and-mood.htm\"> healthy eating<\/a>, and happy activities lower it.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><em>TRY THIS: Make a list of all the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/steps-to-wellbeing.htm\">wellbeing activities<\/a> that make you feel good, from an intense workout to watching your favourite comedian. Then schedule three into this week&#8217;s schedule right now.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<h3 class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\" style=\"color: #993366;\">6. Down compare. <\/span><\/h3>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">If there is one way to feed our irritability it\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/comparing-yourself-to-others.htm\">comparing ourselves<\/a> to all the people around us who are apparently happy and successful and never seem to &#8216;have the hump&#8217;. <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><em><span class=\"s1\">TRY THIS: Compare down. Not with others&#8211; it\u2019s not about being mean and gossiping. But privately, for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/what-is-perspective.htm\">perspective<\/a>, there&#8217;s nothing wrong with noticing that you are doing better than some people.\u00a0<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<h3 class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\" style=\"color: #993366;\">7. Do something for someone else. <\/span><\/h3>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">It\u2019s actually science. Research shows <a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/boosting-your-mood-volunteer.htm\">volunteering<\/a>\u00a0gets us out of our heads and raises our moods.<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><span style=\"color: #666699;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/bmjopen.bmj.com\/content\/bmjopen\/6\/8\/e011327.full.pdf\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Research drawn from the British Household Panel survey<\/span><\/a> found that, &#8220;those who engaged in volunteering regularly appeared to experience higher levels of mental well-being than those who never volunteered&#8221;.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<h2 class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Irritability and mental health<\/span><\/h2>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Irritability from stress is one thing.\u00a0 <\/span><span class=\"s1\">But if the irritably continues after our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/stress-vs-anxiety.htm\">stress<\/a> is dealt with, it signifies a possible mental health issue.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\"><strong><em>Feel on edge all the time, and a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/feeling-of-fear.htm\">growing sense of fear<\/a> about the world around you?<\/em><\/strong> Your stress might have moved into <a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/signs-of-anxiety-disorder.htm\">anxiety disorder<\/a>. <\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"p1\"><strong><span class=\"s1\"><em>Irritable because you are feel that nothing will ever go right again? And do you feel tired all the time for no reason? <\/em><\/span><\/strong><span class=\"s1\">It\u2019s possible you are developing <a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/depression-symptoms.htm\">depression<\/a>. <\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\"><em><strong>Do you feel low and irritable one minute, but full of energy and excitement the next?<\/strong> <\/em>Your grumpiness might be connected to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/bipolar-disorder.htm\">bipolar disorder<\/a>.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><em><strong>Does your irritability always lead to anger or tears?<\/strong> <\/em>You might have <a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/how-can-i-remember-childhood-trauma-abuse.htm\">unresolved childhood trauma<\/a> or an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/emotionally-unstable-personality-disorder.htm\">unstable personality<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\"><em><strong>Is the truth that you have always had bouts of irritability if things take too long, or you forget to do something important yet again?<\/strong><\/em> You might have <a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/adult-adhd-quiz\">attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)<\/a>.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><em><strong>Does it drive you nuts that everyone else is so emotional and disorganised?<\/strong> <\/em>It&#8217;s possible you have <a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/signs-of-aspergers-in-adults.htm\">Asperger&#8217;s syndrome<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\"><em><strong>Are you irritable because nobody in the world seems to make any sense, ever? Or understand you? Has this been going on since you were a young adult?<\/strong> <\/em>Irritability is also connected to many <a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/personality-disorder-a-help-guide.htm\">personality disorders<\/a>.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><strong><span style=\"color: #800080;\">Sick of letting irritability ruin your relationships? Talk with a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/therapists.htm\"><span style=\"color: #333399;\">top London therapist<\/span><\/a> and learn to manage your moods. Or <a href=\"https:\/\/harleytherapy.com\/?utm_source=Harley%20Therapy%20Blog&amp;utm_content=Mid%20Post\"><span style=\"color: #333399;\">use our booking platform<\/span><\/a> to find a <span style=\"color: #333399;\">UK-wide online therapist<\/span> now.\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span style=\"color: #333399;\"><b><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-117271 alignleft\" src=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-content\/uploads\/headshot-yellow-e1675110089673-150x150.png\" alt=\"Andrea M. Darcy\" width=\"141\" height=\"141\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-content\/uploads\/headshot-yellow-e1675110089673-150x150.png 150w, https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-content\/uploads\/headshot-yellow-e1675110089673-200x200.png 200w, https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-content\/uploads\/headshot-yellow-e1675110089673-50x50.png 50w, https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-content\/uploads\/headshot-yellow-e1675110089673.png 268w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 141px) 100vw, 141px\" \/>Andrea M. Darcy<\/b> is a health and wellbeing writer as well as mentor, trained in person-centred counselling and coaching. Find her on Instagram @am_darcy<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>by Andrea M. Darcy Been on edge of late? Snapping at others without meaning too, and just feeling all around frustrated? What can you do when grumpiness has you in its hold? And when is irritability a sign of something more serious?\u00a0 What causes irritability? We can all be grumpy if we are \u00a0tired, or [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":119052,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","_lmt_disableupdate":"yes","_lmt_disable":"no","footnotes":""},"categories":[20,5313],"tags":[224,378],"class_list":["post-119048","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-anger","category-common-problems","tag-anxiety-stress","tag-depression","has_thumb"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.0 (Yoast SEO v27.0) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>The Irritability Factor - How to Calm Down (or Why You Can&#039;t) - Harley Therapy\u2122 Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Is irritability affecting your relationships? Not sure how to stop when stuck in the grumpy rut? 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Darcy","author_link":"#"},"uagb_comment_info":1,"uagb_excerpt":"by Andrea M. Darcy Been on edge of late? Snapping at others without meaning too, and just feeling all around frustrated? What can you do when grumpiness has you in its hold? And when is irritability a sign of something more serious?\u00a0 What causes irritability? We can all be grumpy if we are \u00a0tired, or&hellip;","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/119048","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=119048"}],"version-history":[{"count":30,"href":"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/119048\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":140165,"href":"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/119048\/revisions\/140165"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/119052"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=119048"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=119048"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=119048"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}