It’s often challenging to be patient due to a combination of factors, including our desires for immediate gratification, a culture that emphasizes fast-paced living, and the impact of stress and worry. Our expectations of quick results, coupled with the speed of technology and the constant connectivity it enables, can lead to increased impatience.
Practicing patience involves developing the ability to calmly accept delays, frustrations, or challenges without becoming easily upset or annoyed. It’s a skill that can be cultivated through various techniques like mindfulness, stress management, and reframing negative thoughts. In a world where instant gratification is the norm, you can train yourself to be more comfortable waiting patiently. But why has practicing patience become so difficult?
There are so many things that have become available at our fingertips. Instant access means that our expectations have gone up, which means that to our level of patience has gone down. Modern society often prioritizes speed and efficiency, leading to a culture that doesn’t always value patience. The good news is that you can learn to be more patient. It will take some work to rewire your thinking, the change will not likely happen overnight, but after putting these practices into motion you may come out with a new and refreshed outlook.
How to practice patience
Try implementing these six perspectives on patience into your daily life. Be mindful, know what you can control, welcome discomfort, be present, take it one step at a time, and lighten the mood. It may sound simple, but it can be a challenge to actually pay attention to what you’re doing, how you’re feeling and what’s happening. The key is to get out of your head and engage your senses. Take the time to actually see, feel, hear, smell, taste, and truly exist in the world around you.
Be Mindful
Mindfulness is the practice of being present in the moment. It’s easy to lose your patience when your thoughts start spiraling. When you disengage from the here and now, your mind can create elaborate stories about the consequences of what’s happening. We get so caught up in what’s next on our to-do list that we lose track of the moment we’re in. Try keeping a journal, focus on your breathing, start doing yoga or take up meditation so you can relax and focus on being mindful.
Know What You Can Control
Whether you’re stuck in traffic or stuck standing in a long line, your patience can wear thin. However, it can help you to recognize when you can and can’t change your circumstances. It’s a matter of acknowledging what’s within your control and what’s not. You may not be able to change the traffic but you do have the ability to change how you react. Sometimes it’s best to accept it for what it is and get out of your own way.
Welcome Discomfort
Practicing patience during life’s little setbacks can help build your tolerance when the bigger issues arise. Getting into the habit of letting a car go in front of you in traffic can be a small gesture that will help you get used to the idea of slowing down. Step outside your comfort zone and you may be surprised how it makes you feel.
Be Present
It can be tough to actually listen to what other people are telling you, especially when you are feeling impatient. When your head is swimming with distracting thoughts about what you have to do next, you lose the present moment, including keeping up the conversation you’re having. Impatience during a conversation can look like formulating your response to what is being said before it’s your turn to speak. Remind yourself to stay present with that person. Put your phone down, look at them in the eyes, and focus on understanding what they’re saying.
One Step at a Time
If you’re feeling impatient about a larger goal, break it down into smaller, manageable tasks. Celebrate small achievements along the way. You may feel overwhelmed by the huge project you’ve recently been tasked with. Instead of panicking about the magnitude of the project as a whole, try to focus on breaking it into smaller parts, giving yourself reasonable goals along the way. This shift in focus can help alleviate feelings of impatience.
Lighten the Mood
Laughing can lighten any mood and it can help you find patience when it seems you don’t have much. Laughing is good for you. It relieves stress, strengthens social bonds, and increases oxygen to your body. Habits like regular self-care, exercise and meditation can have similar effects on your nervous system and can set the stage so that when something funny happens, you’ll be in a laughing kind of mood. Try to help lighten your load and let yourself be in the moment.
We can all agree that practicing patience is not easy but with daily practice, you may find yourself being more calm, less frazzled and more willing to give others the benefit of the doubt. Maybe you’ll even give yourself a break, too. You deserve it.