Annoying habits can kill focus and crush productivity

The other day I was at Fedex/Kinkos making some copies. I was only there for a few minutes and there was one other woman at another copier a few yards away. We never made eye contact nor spoke. I never even saw her face and wouldn't be able to pick her out of a lineup. But still she managed to aggravate the hell out of me. How?

She snapped her gum incessantly.

I'll bet she wasn't even aware she was doing it. In fact I often wonder if a gum snapper came in contact with another gum snapper, would they find each other irritating -- or would they even hear it? I've never met anyone who is OK with that sound and for the life of me can't figure out why someone would do it.

Which brings me to the point of this post. Working near someone with an annoying habit can certainly affect the focus and productivity of the people around them. (Can't think of anyone with an annoying habit in your office? Then make very sure it's not you!)

Here are some behaviors that, like gum snapping, can be maddening, or maybe just gross...

• Humming
• Sucking on teeth
• Playing with cellophane candy wrappers
• Talking way louder than necessary on the phone -- especially if it's a cubicle environment
• Overbearing perfume or cologne
• Clipping fingernails -- or  worse, toenails
• Clicking a pen
• Slurping anything

Sometimes it's the big stuff that diverts our focus. Sometimes it's the little things, like the things above. Pay attention to habits that could annoy your coworkers. Maybe they'll do the same for you.

You have examples of annoying habits? Bring em on! Maybe we even take a vote for Most Annoying.