1. Speak up

People who have an annoying personality probably irritate most people they encounter. While it's important to pick your battles in life, this doesn't mean you can’t speak up or stand up for yourself when someone crosses the line. When dealing with an annoying person, you can nip the problem in the bud from the very beginning. If the person realizes “you're not the one,” he might take his annoying personality elsewhere.

2. Don’t Take the Bait

Some annoying people will say or do certain things in order to get a rise out of you. Learn to recognize these behaviors and don't take the bait. Ignore an annoying person. They’ll eventually get bored and move on.

3. Keep It Short

If every encounter with a particular person drives you nuts, keep it short. You might not be able to avoid this person, but this doesn't mean you have to be super close with her or have long conversations. Only speak to the person when absolutely necessary and keep it moving. The less time you spend around this person the better

4. Unfriend or Unfollow

Maybe one of your Facebook or Twitter friends annoy you. Even though you don't see this person face-to-face on a daily basis, what she says online might drive you absolutely crazy. Perhaps this person has a negative attitude and floods your timeline with complaints, or she might brag non-stop about material possessions and you're getting tired of her name-dropping. Whatever the reason, if seeing this friend’s posts or status updates makes your blood boil, it's time to unfriend or unfollowed this person, or at the very least hide her updates.

5. Don’t Accept Social Invitations

You have every right to choose your company. So if you're invited to a social function that’s hosted by a person who annoys you, or if a group you don't particularly care for will be attending the function, it's okay to politely decline. You don’t have to give specifics. You can say, “I have other plans, but thank you for the invitation.”

6. Ask for “me Time”

Sometimes, the people who annoy us are those closest to us. You might have an excellent relationship with these people, but spending too much time together can be overwhelming. In this case, ask the person to give you a little “me time.” This way, you can take a break to clear your head and enjoy peace of mind without someone annoying you.

7. Tune out

Tuning out is another effective way to deal with an annoying personality. You can’t control another person's behavior. If the person isn't directly speaking with you, put your headphones on, read a magazine or play games on your phone. The less you concentrate on the person, the better you'll feel.

We live and work with all types of people, and some of the people in our lives will drive us nuts. By setting social boundaries you can maintain your sanity when dealing with difficult people. How do you cope with an annoying person?