Look at eliminating from your schedule the things that are shortening your fuse.

Do you have to send out Christmas cards every year? Do you have to have a perfectly clean house at all times? Do you have to answer the phone every time it rings? Do you put off doing the everyday things that will prevent a stressful or frustrating event from occurring (e.g., paying bills, sorting mail, making timely bank deposits, adequate rest, proper diet, and exercise)?

Minimize your responsibilities or break them down into bite-size pieces so that you reduce or eliminate feeling overwhelmed.

Allowing yourself AMPLE time for task completion means saying no to distractions and draining commitments, thus preventing time crunches that provoke irritability.