We live in an age where we expect instant gratification from everything.
Packages must be delivered within 24 hours, and meals at a restaurant need to arrive within 30 minutes.
As a result, many people have developed shorter attention spans and have grown more impatient as a result.
Goodboy Picture Company / Getty Images
There are many benefits of learning to be more patient.
High up on the list is that itreduces your stress levels.
The good news is that its a character skill that can be learned with time and practice.
Below are a few ways to start.
Practice with things that will typically test your patience, like starting and finishing a giant jigsaw puzzle.
By doing these things, youll develop the character traits of a patient person.
For example, maybe you grow impatient when you see a long line at your favorite coffee shop.
Be More Mindful
Practicing mindfulnessdaily can help you become a more patient person.
you might start with five minutes and work your way up.
Slow Down
Slowing things down when appropriate can help you build patience.
Not every activity needs to be done instantly or hurriedly.
Take stock of the aspects in your life it’s possible for you to afford to slow down.
Waiting for your coffee to brew in the morning?
Try enjoying the process instead of tapping your foot impatiently or rushing off to do another task.
Practice Acceptance
A tenet to live by is accepting things that are out of your control.
Instead of getting frustrated, try accepting your situation and making the best of it.
You might even want to call up a friend.
It can also help you realize what behaviors to unlearn.
High up on the list is that it reduces your stress levels.
When you are patient, getting worked up at the slightest inconvenience becomes more difficult.
On the flip side of this are the potential pitfalls of being impatient.
Learning more about the disadvantages of impatience can motivate you to become a more patient person.
Some of these disadvantages include:
Frequently Asked Questions
Impatience is highly individual.
What triggers your impatience might not trigger the next person’s.
To find out what triggers your impatience, keep a journal.
You are often your biggest critic.
All the reasons for being more patient with others apply to you too.
To be patient with yourself, start by remembering you are not perfect.
Some things take time, and mistakes will be made along the way.
Communication is key to becoming more patient with your children.
Situations that are likely to trigger your impatience such as tantrums can be defused with open communication.
By being patient with your children, it’s possible for you to help them also become more patient.
Research shows patient children are less angry and exhibit self-regulatory behaviors as they age.
Communicating with a partner who isn’t patient can be challenging.
However, it’s key to helping them become more patient.
Listen to what they have to say and try not to react immediately.
Give them the space to vent before communicating how and why you may find their behavior frustrating.
With an impatient partner, continually exhibiting patience is a great strategy to get them to become more patient.
If communicating does not work, it may be time to enlist the help of acouple’s therapist.
Count to three and remind yourself of the importance of being more patient.
Cleveland Clinic.7 tips for better patience.
Sweeny K, Howell JL.Bracing later and coping better: benefits of mindfulness during a stressful waiting period.
Pers Soc Psychol Bull.
2017;43(10):1399-1414.
Kumar A, Killingsworth MA, Gilovich T.Waiting for merlot: anticipatory consumption of experiential and material purchases.
2014;25(10):1924-1931.
2015;1(3):FSO23.
Schnitker SA.An examination of patience and well-being.The Journal of Positive Psychology.
2012;7(4):263-280.
2011;47(4):1078-1089.
