These days we live in a society where we can get/buy things instantly. Sometimes we order something online and it will be delivered the next day. If we want to look something up, we can Google it, we don’t have to go to the library to find information. We can text/call our friends immediately. Those things can be great, but it also has one downside it makes us less patient. These days we have everything within hand reach. We don’t like to wait for our delivery, text messages from friends or traffic. But it is actually better to be more patient because sooner or later you have to wait for something.
I am speaking from personal experience. I am pretty impatient, but that has led to getting panic attacks when I actually have to wait. It is also better for your stress levels to be more patient because you won’t stress about having to wait for something. Being patient is also very helpful when it comes to manifesting things.
How to be more patient
Stop multitasking
Ever had a long to-do list and decided to do several things at the same time? Sounds great right? Imagine you come home after a long day and you still have to clean, do taxes and laundry. You might think you can do it all at the same time, but it is better to focus on one thing at a time. You make fewer mistakes and you will be chaotic. But it is also good to stop multitasking if you want to be more patient. Maybe you’re multitasking because you want to watch a movie on Netflix or do nothing at all. That sounds great at first, but if you do this every time you will become less patient and you want to work even faster. You should just focus on one task at a time and really take the time for it. Eventually, you accept your long to-do list and are not trying to hurry.
Put yourself in certain situations
Practice makes perfect, right? So don’t avoid situations where you have to wait, just stand in line and just wait. At first, it will probably feel terrible. One thing I don’t like is the queues at the supermarket, so I basically avoid them now. These days it is very easy to do that. But if you decide to wait in the queue every single time, you get used to waiting and you will become more patient. You are telling your brain that it is normal to wait for things, so it won’t start to panic anymore.
Meditate
My favourite tip on this list is definitely meditating because you have to sit or lay down and focus on one thing. Your mind will probably go crazy and you might think about the things you still have to do. The beginning is really hard, but if you practise this every day, you can stop the train of thoughts faster but you will also be more patient. You are more relaxed and happier.
Mindfulness
Mindfulness is pretty similar to meditation, but most people meditate with their eyes closed and focus on one thing at a time. With mindfulness you try to stay present, you let go of your thoughts and live in the moment. You focus on what you see, hear, smell, feel and taste in that moment. It helps to relax and thus be more patient. You can try this while being stuck in traffic. You can look around you (still be careful), listen to sounds you can hear and describe what you feel at that moment. Being present is so important. We always think about our past or future, but the only moment that really matters is right now.
Really listen to other people
When some people have a conversation, they are not always listening. Sometimes they start to think about the things they want to say. And before you know it, you have no idea what the other person is really saying. The next time, you have a conversation with someone, try to listen to the other person. Don’t look at your phone or think about something else. Really be there and just listen.
Photo by billow926 on Unsplash