Habits that Help Cultivate Patience

Blocks on a wall spelling patience.patience
Among the many practices we are meant to develop, patience is essential. (Image: Constantine Johnny via Dreamstime)

Right from childhood, we have been told about good habits and virtues that we must follow. Among the many practices we are meant to develop, patience is essential. Many people consider it to be a superpower. There are many phases in our life that we need this quality to sail through. We know that things don’t work the way we want. In such situations, it is essential to be patient and see what is coming on the way.

How do you define patience?

If you go by dictionary terms, it is the ability to wait or continue doing something irrespective of the difficulties. It also refers to suffering without complaining or becoming annoyed. It is generally tested during trying times when moving forward is challenging. A patient person will stay calm in the most demanding situations, continuing the journey and thinking of long-term growth.

Developing patience is not child’s play. You have to cultivate this skill to build resilience to overcome hurdles. It is a trait that you have to nurture over time. You can teach some healthy habits in your daily routine and lifestyle, which help in enhancing patience levels along with boosting perseverance, tenacity, and calmness.

Patience is a trait that you have to nurture over time.
Patience is a trait that you have to nurture over time. (Image: Marek Uliasz via Dreamstime)

Identify elements that hamper patience and try removing them from your life

Various kinds of habits, events, and activities might be responsible for reducing patience in your life. You must identify these elements closely. When you place these elements, it means that you acknowledge that these elements are present and they ruin your patience. You can now work on these things and eliminate them from your daily routine and lifestyle. It is even better to single out specific elements that hamper it. Doing this can put your concentration and energy in the right place.

Make daily self-care a priority

Self-care is an essential habit of being patient. How? Most of us are super busy with our lives and forget to take care of ourselves. We ignore allocating time to physical and mental well-being as we have more important things to do. This attitude increases impatience. If you want to become patient, you must learn to prioritize self-care. Try doing things that keep you calm and relaxed. Indulge in activities that teach mindfulness. Implement the changes and see how it impacts your patience levels.

Develop the habit of stillness and creating calm stretches

An excellently effective antidote for being impatient is short periods of stillness. Go for forest walks, meditation, or read a journal. Your schedule should have abundant stillness breaks. Many people choose short reading stints, go for a neighborhood walk, or do nothing and relax. These “empty time blocks” boost patience significantly and create an ambiance that fosters its virtue.

People often lose their patience while interacting with colleagues, friends, personal connections, or clients.
People often lose their patience while interacting with colleagues, friends, personal connections, or clients. (Image: Andrii Yalanskyi via Dreamstime)

Try seeing things from other people’s perspectives

People often become impatient when interacting with colleagues, friends, personal connections, or clients. Usually, we never think of the other person’s perspective and grow impatient with them. One way to overcome this is to analyze the other person’s view. Once you do that, you will develop patience levels as you can gauge a broader picture.

Applying the Stoic exercise concept for reframing situations

Stoic exercises come to fruition in adverse situations. The Stoics are known for training their perceptions. In a problematic patience-testing situation, try turning the situation upside down. Look for positivities amidst the negativities. You can overcome more substantial challenges if you can hone this skill for daily life situations. Try stoic exercises to train yourself to be more patient.

Try these and see the positive changes that manifest in your patience levels!

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