How to be more patient

“Patience is power. Patience is not an absence of action; rather it is timing; it waits on the right time to act, for the right principles, and in the right way.” ― Fulton J. Sheen

Nowadays, most of us are used to getting everything almost immediately. We can order food online and have it delivered within minutes; we can message friends and get an instant response no matter where they are; we can even have a book read to us or summarized for us so that we don’t have to read them.

This instant gratification has its benefits, but it also makes us less patient, less willing to wait for tasks to be completed, people to respond, and things to arrive. One can even become a moody person, and we don’t want that, don’t we?

Let’s check these 7 tips to boost your proficiency in becoming a more patient person.

1- Be mindful of the things making you impatient

Most of us have common triggers that set off feelings of impatience, and they often come from recurring events. This could be anything from noisy neighbors every night to kids not tidying away their clothes after school. Focusing on the reason behind your impatience can help you shine a spotlight on it.

Inspect the real reasons why you’re feeling impatient. When you acknowledge those reasons, you may be better placed to control those feelings and stop stressing about them.

Think about the situations that make you impatient and write them down on paper. For example, do you detest waiting in line at the grocery store because you’re hungry and want to get home to eat?

Maybe, you can either find ways to alleviate or avoid them, or just learn to accept that they will continue to occur and that you being impatient won’t help in the slightest.

2- Remind yourself that you are merely uncomfortable

It can feel extremely painful when you are in these situations—like being put on hold or stuck in traffic.

Just think, “I don’t have control over the situation. This situation is not impossible or life-threatening, so even though it may not be enjoyable, it is certainly bearable.”

Learning to recognize and accept discomfort may make it easier to cope with.

3- Distract yourself

Many situations that demand patience simply requires you to wait, such as a long plane ride or a lengthy line at a counter desk.

In these scenarios, there’s nothing you can do to speed things up, but you can fill that time productively — so distract yourself.

Listen to a podcast, write a message to a friend you haven’t talked to for a while, or beat the next level on your favorite game. Some people find these as good opportunities to read.

3- Stop doing things that are not important

We all have things in our lives that take time away from what is essential. One way of removing stress from our lives is to stop doing those things. Take a few minutes and evaluate your week. Look at your schedule from when you wake up to the time you go to sleep. Take out two or three things that you do that aren’t important but take time. It’s time to learn to say no to things that cause stress and make us impatient.

4- Practice being patient

It might sound simple, but practicing patience is a legitimate way to improve our control over it.

Life will provide you with many opportunities to practice your patience, but if you would prefer to have more focus. Try waiting a few extra minutes before eating that ice cream, ban yourself from looking at your phone while waiting or complete a large jigsaw puzzle.

Start with something small, then move on to something bigger. You will begin to gain more patience as you practice.

5- Focus on the bigger picture

If something small or insignificant is driving you batty, try to place it in the context of the bigger picture. For example, if you’re frustrated that you were overcharged for a coffee at the drive-through, consider whether the extra dollar will impact your financial wellbeing. If the answer is no, do your best to focus on the delicious coffee and not the surprise expense.

No matter the exact situation, if you have a specific reason for putting yourself through discomfort, maintain focus on that reason instead of wallowing in the discomfort itself. For example, waiting out a toddler’s tantrum is never easy, but the reason you’re doing it might be to teach them that screaming doesn’t result in them getting what they want. Or perhaps you are putting up with a difficult situation at work, knowing that your perseverance will put you in good stead for a promotion.

6- Relax and take deep breaths

Meditation and mindfulness are useful tools for dealing with practically any negative emotion, and they are especially effective in dealing with impatience.

Taking slow deep breaths can help calm the mind and body. This is the easiest way to help ease any impatient feelings you are experiencing. If breathing doesn’t help, take a walk to clear your head. The point is to find each day some time for you to decompress.

7- De-stress In other areas

As often as not, losing patience is a symptom. You may be overtired, stressed, or otherwise feeling down, which creates an atmosphere where the slightest grievance can feel like the most cumbersome hurdle.

Instead of focusing on maintaining your cool in challenging situations, move your energies towards de-stressing in other areas, for example, taking on less work, delegating more tasks, prioritizing sleep, or taking time off for yourself.

WEEKLY VOCABULARY 🗣

Impatient: having or showing a tendency to be quickly irritated or provoked.

Chill person: someone that is laid back, who doesn’t tend to get angry quickly or be mean.

Nervous: easily agitated or alarmed; tending to be anxious; highly strung.

Persevere: continue in a course of action even in the face of difficulty or with little or no prospect of success.

Tolerance: the ability or willingness to tolerate something, in particular, the existence of opinions or behavior that one does not necessarily agree with.

PHRASAL VERBS ✍

Put up with

“Xavier seems to think it’s something I’ve just got to put up with.”

Make allowance for

“We should make allowance for the wishes of others.”

Hold on

“Hold on! This isn’t the right road.”

IDIOMS 📒

Keep your shirt on: don’t lose your temper; stay calm.

Rome wasn’t built in a day: good work takes time to complete.

To lose one’s / run out of patience: to stop being patient and take action.

All things come to those who wait: it will happen eventually, so until then be patient.