It’s easy to get lost in the routines of our own little personal bubbles of life. Many of the little things each of us do on a day-to-day basis, everything from having a certain radio station to listen to while making breakfast or a rhythm that is tapped out with a pencil while trying to focus; we take for granted as just being the established norm. And to an extent, that is true. Our personal routines and our set ways of going about pieces of our own individual days are certainly normal…specifically for us. Becoming entrenched in these long-established habits, however, can sometimes blind us to the simple fact that it’s just not how everyone else goes through their own daily habits.
And really, that’s perfectly fine. That’s exactly how it should be. How boring would life be otherwise?
The problem here is the conflict that arises when two or more individual’s “personal bubbles” clash – that is, when one person’s habits destructively interfere with those of another.
Just the other day, a coworker of someone I know was fixing coffee at their desk. Nothing unusual about that in, and of itself. But what was unusual is the manner in which they chose to go about this otherwise mundane task. Rather than going to the communal office coffee pot for their caffeine fix, they instead decided to bring in their own mason jar of coffee beans, which they then apparently proceeded to grind, loudly, right at their desk with a hand-crank device, and then brewed the coffee with a personal contraption in their cubicle. I get it to a certain extent – everyone has their personal preference as far as coffee flavor and method of preparation. That being said, when you use your desk as a barista stand and the sound can be heard from the other side of the office, it might just be time to consider that maybe you are taking things a little too far.
Needless to say, I’m sure many people that day felt their personal bubbles were invaded to a certain degree. Such minor conflicts will inevitably occur in our lives of course, but there’s no reason we can’t do everything in our power to reduce the odds as much as possible. We all have our own separate bubbles, but a little consideration for others can go a long way, even if it’s taking a small step like using headphones when listening to music, or making our elaborate coffee concoction at home ahead of time.
