How to be more patient October 15, 2015
Patience is very valuable and a character trait a lot of people wish to have, but a virtue which only a few people really seem to master the majority of time. Patience helps you handle waiting periods with better grace and to keep your peace of mind when things go different than planned. It is said to make you more successful, happy, content and calm in even the most stressful of situations. In order to bring you closer to improving your own patience here are some tips:
1. Distract yourself and make use of waiting periods
Find other things to do in the meantime! Even when you wait in line in some place you can make use of these times with reading, listening to music, an audio book or podcast, or just enjoy some small talk.
2.Think about the purpose of waiting and the importance of your goal
Focus on the goal ahead of you. Remember why it is important to be patient with this situation. Sometimes we do not remind ourselves of the benefits of patience enough, when we look at the big picture or our goals.
3. Form a habit to stick with the self-discipline you need to have
Sometimes you need to make some seemingly drastic changes to trick yourself into forming a good habit, for example. If you want to lose weight, stop eating candy by not buying any. Or if you need to save money, but find it difficult to stick to a budget, put the money away at the beginning of the month and do not touch it. If you want to exercise but avoid it, make a commitment to do your training sessions with a friend who will hold you responsible, if necessary. Sometimes we need to trick ourselves a little bit, when our impatience stands in our way.
4. Mindfulness and relaxation
Train yourself to become more mindful and focus on one task at hand completely. Use time windows opening up for you for your own benefit by using this time for relaxation and not doing anything for a small time frame. It will work wonders for your stress reduction…
5. Motivation and affirmations
Believe in yourself! Trust yourself that you can do it. Find motivation and work with positive quotes or affirmations if you need reminders for yourself. They key is to stick to your goals. You can be patient, too.
6. Half way there
Look at the partial successes along the way instead of focusing on the goals still not reached or the time span that seems to stretch forever. It is all about your own perspective. Think positively about your situation.
7. Reward yourself
You can celebrate small successes along the way. Who says that the way towards a goal is no accomplishment in itself? Look at all the progress you already made. You are getting closer to your goals, even if it does not seem like it sometimes.
8. Look at the positive side of waiting
You can prepare better and can avoid being stressed out or overwhelmed because you had to rush things. Sometimes you can make better decisions if they are not required immediately and you have more time to prepare.
If you still struggle with being impatient, you are not alone. And there is also the drive and ambition to change things that can come with a lack of patience here and there. As with many things it is all about balance. And you should not mistake patience for resignation. There is always a possibility to change yourself. You just need to reflect on when it is smart to be patient and wait for something to happen before you act. I hope you found these tips helpful. If you have any recommendations yourself, feel free to leave a comment down below. I hope you have a wonderful day!
Photography by © Tante Tati / Pixabay