What do long lines and traffic jams have in common?
They all stir up the monster of impatience.
In our digitally obsessed world, it’s no surprise we’re all used to having everything we need immediately and right at our fingertips. Plus, we’re always busy. Hustling and bustling, rushing from 3 business meetings to your kids’ recital and a birthday party, all in a same day, it’s no wonder we don’t really exercise patience.
Here are 5 tips to learning patience and why you should:
1. Be mindful of what makes you feel rushed
We all have long mental to-do lists that tend to become like a traffic jam for our brains. Motivational coach and author Rob White said, “Our minds are constantly jumping from task to task, thought to thought, worry to worry.” We are always interrupted, distracted, and multi-tasking, adding up to a constant state of hurry.
Mindfulness helps you become more patient as you write down thoughts or what the things you have to do so you can get a clearer picture of what makes you impatient. White says that this habit will make you more aware of the jumping mind and appreciate the value of slowing down.
2. Practice gratitude
A 2014 research shows that practicing gratitude helps us become less stressed, happier, more optimistic, and more patient. Here is a simple gratitude exercise you can do to get rid or control your need for instant gratification.
3. Make yourself wait
According to a study, waiting actually makes us happier for the long haul. Get rid of your need for instant gratification by practicing how to wait. Start with small tasks: wait an extra 5 minutes before reaching for that cookie, or put off watching the latest episode of your favorite Netflix series until the weekend. You will soon realize that the more waiting you practice, the more you will be able to exercise patience in other more irritating situations.
4. Practice deep breathing
Deep breathing exercises give you the power to calm the body and mind. This relaxation technique helps relieve impatient jitters and help you exercise patience one breath at a time.
5. Embrace the uncomfortable
Uncomfortable situations almost always make us feel impatient for its resolution. Dr. Jane Bolton, licensed family and marriage therapist, says that we need to become more comfortable with the uncomfortable to cultivate a little more patience.
This list has been adapted from this article by Huffpost.
