7 Ways to Practice Patience

I’ve got to say my biggest weakness is patience…or a lack of it. This has gotten me into trouble in all kinds of situations to the point that I have lost a few business clients because I was inpatient with them. Over the years, I have learned to work on this and improve my patience level. In this post, I’d like to share with you how you too, can improve if impatience is something you struggle with.

So, how is it possible to strengthen those patience muscles? At first, it will not be much fun. Are you ready to improve? Here is what’s suggested if you really have a strong desire to become more patient:

1. Practice mindfulness. Linger in the present moment, without expressing any judgment. Just quietly sit and notice your breathing. Notice what is distracting you from breathing, and then ease yourself back into breath awareness. In other words, before reacting and making an ass of yourself, take a deep breath and filter yourself.
2. Accept your present circumstances. That might mean being trapped in traffic or trapped in an occupation you hate. However, it does not mean you should not attempt to change things if necessary. It just means accepting that experience in the moment for what it is — even if it isn’t pleasant.
3. Build up tolerance for being somewhat uncomfortable. Allow others to go ahead of you in traffic or in line. Resist temptations to scratch an itch. Do not act on impulses to check your smartphone.
4. When you are feeling rushed, slow it down. You do not need to feel as if you are a hamster on a wheel all the time. Recognize that you can opt to go slow. In a culture that pushes speed, also realize that there’s value in taking it slow.
5. Be playful. Sometimes it’s okay to act like a kid. Laugh, be silly, sing around the house, It’s okay not to take yourself so seriously.
6. Let it feel broken. It does not matter whether it is a work project that has gone awry, an issue in your relationship, or something within your home that is broken. Resist the temptation to fix everything right away.
7. Be a good listener. Carefully listen to what your family or others are saying. Concentrate on understanding, instead of on formulating a reaction.

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Increasing your patience isn’t easy. However, with practice, you might find that you are less frazzled, more calm, and more willing to give other people the benefit of the doubt — and perhaps also even give yourself a tiny break every once and awhile.

??Kristen is a contributor on Medium. Sign up here to catch every story when she publishes. She is a newsletter publisher on Substack. Subscribe here. Gain free access to Kristen’s Entrepreneurship Course when you upgrade from free to paid subscriber on Substack. She is an Entrepreneurship Coach on Upwork and helps people change their mindset from being a job seeker to being their own boss.