Annoying Habits to Avoid

“Why does he keep doing that? It’s driving me crazy!” Have you ever thought this as you watched someone give a presentation? Here are five annoying habits that you should avoid:

Jingling keys and coins.

When you are nervous, your hands often tell the tale. Many people stand in front of the room, immediately put a hand in a pocket, and begin to fiddle with keys and coins. This is very annoying. Stop it! Free both hands and make meaningful gestures, or if you must, hold a marker in one hand (ready to write on a flip chart). Which brings me to the next point.

Clicking the top of the marker on and off.

As I listened to a student give a one-minute talk, I counted the number of times he clicked the top of the marker on and off. Nineteen! He was the only one who didn’t notice it. In fact, he denied it.

Touching your face (especially your nose and mouth).

My sister told me about a counselor who spoke about parenting skills. During his talk, he constantly put his fingers on (and in) his mouth.

At the end of the evening, he asked everyone to join hands in a prayer for the children. She scrambled to make sure she didn’t have to stand next to him, and she pitied the two people who did!

Playing with your hair.

When you’re having a bad hair day, it’s natural to want to tame that errant strand. However, this only calls attention to the problem, and drives people crazy in the process. Women with long hair should avoid constantly flipping it and caressing it. Tie it back, or spray it in place.

Making tsk-ing/smacking sounds.

Some people do this before each sentence as if to say, “Now hear this!” Get someone to fine you $1.00 each time, and you’ll break this habit fast.