5 Tips to cultivating patience
Many of us don't think about patience until we start to run out of it. Then, as we sit in traffic, wait in queues, get put on hold again, we can feel our body tense and our stress levels rise as the last of our patience slips away.
Let's look at what the actual definition of patience is. The Oxford dictionary states patience is 'The capacity to accept or tolerate delay, problems, or suffering without becoming annoyed or anxious.'
Wikipedia states: Patience is the ability to endure difficult circumstances. Patience may involve perseverance in the face of delay, tolerance of provocation without responding in disrespect/anger, or forbearance when under strain, especially when faced with longer-term difficulties.
So now that we know this, it brings a level of understanding of why in our everyday busy lives, patience is not something we feel we have in abundance.
Also, we are currently living in a world where everyone wants everything now.
"Lose 10kg in one week."
"Get rich in one month."
"Reduce Belly fat without changing your diet."
These sentences look attractive. Today most people want fast results and therefore fall for these crazy claims then get disappointed because they were unrealistic in the first place. This can lead to disappointment, leading to questioning if you did enough, and round and round it goes.
Do you believe Patience is a Skill?
I certainly do. So if patience is a skill and not a finite resource, and mostly we do not spend anytime on that skill, then is there any wonder that many people are walking around impatient, frustrated and under strain.
Personally, Yoga has taught me patience. By observing our reactive patterns on my yoga mat, we're better able to recognize when we react mindlessly in real life—and in turn, consciously shift our feelings, thoughts, emotions, moods, and behaviours.
Living in the here and now helps us to cultivate patience. Not being judgemental of ourselves or others allows us to develop patience.
Patience puts us in direct control of ourselves. When we are patient, we give ourselves time to choose how to respond to a given event, rather than get emotionally hijacked by our emotions. It allows us to stay gathered no matter what is happening.
Now you get the point. We can bring more patience in our daily lives. There are so many ways we can do this, and to be honest, the best way is to observe yourself and become aware of where your attention goes and what throws you into being impatient. However, a few suggestions are:
Be Present – Awareness of self is everything.
Breath – Learn to breathe. Focused breathing time can help 'reset' thinking and move the focus away from negative emotions.
Yoga - various studies show the positive effects a regular yoga practice has on stress. Yoga also brings you into the present and, through the poses, teaches you to be patient.
Bring attention to why you are Impatient. This gives you clues on what you need to let go of to become more patient.
Stop doing things that aren't important. We all waste time. Let us all choose to stop it. Reduce things on you're schedule and say no a few times in the week.
You can learn how to face even the most tedious, irritating situations with increased awareness, calm and patience, leading to feeling more balanced, healthier and happier.
I am running a week-long online Breathing Workshop starting mid-July.
Click here if you are interested in taking part.