Photo by FantomDesigns
“He that can have patience can have what he will.”
-Benjamin Franklin
In the crazy fast paced world we live in now it is easy to get caught up in the excitement, and lose track of what is really important in our lives. With so little time to accomplish everything we need to do, one mistake often can set us off track for the remainder of our day, and make us angry and agitated.
Patience is an attribute that takes a lot of work to gain. It is not something you can attain overnight, and is definitely not something that comes with age. By becoming a more patient person we not only improve the quality of our lives, but the quality of the lives of those around us.
♥ Learn to calm yourself down. When the going gets tough, and it seems you are about to blow steam, take a few minutes to yourself, where you can stop, take some deep breaths, meditate for a few minutes, and gather your thoughts. Getting away from the situation for as little as two or three minutes will help you reacess the situation, and give you a clearer idea of what needs to be done.
♥ Get exercise every day. There is a reason that exercise seems to be the solution to everything-it works. Getting even just ten minutes of cardiovascular exercise helps calm you down, clear your head, and get your frustrations out.
♥ Realize that you can not change others, you can only change yourself. As nice as it seems like it would be to change people into exactly how you think they ought to be, each person only has the power to change them self. Learning to change views on other’s flaws will help keep you from getting angry or impatient with them. In this way you can remain calm and work with the person who is frustrating you, to help them see your view point, and to get the task completed.
♥ Put yourself in someone else’s shoes. If it is a person you are upset with, imagine how you would have acted under the same circumstances. Realize that they most likely did not do it deliberately, and that there is most likely a reason behind whatever their actions were. Perhaps they were not having a good day themselves, and are unintentionally taking that stress out on you.
♥ Learn to accept complications or change. Things don’t always go as planned, in fact more often than not in my life, I get thrown for a loop. I create a list of things to do each morning in my head, then in the blink of an eye something will come up that makes it impossible to finish everything I had scheduled. It is so easy to get flustered and frustrated, since change could mean less personal time, or not being able to do something you really needed to do. Realizing ahead of time that you may need to be flexible in case something does change will make you much more prepared in rescheduling your day.
♥ Look for patterns. Does you mood usually take a turn for the worst mid afternoon? Do you usually get frustrated after someone flakes on you or when you get cut off on the freeway? By noticing patterns in when you regularly get frustrated you will be better prepared for the next time you are in a similar situation, and know what changes to make before the problem arises next time.
♥ Be able to move on. We all get cut off in traffic, friends flake on us, and people say things that may upset you. Allow yourself a few seconds to be upset, then move on. Tell yourself, yes that was really bad, but as long as I am physically ok, it will not affect the way I do things today. Someone who cuts you off on the freeway does not deserve the glory of affecting how the rest of your day goes.
♥ Make mental notes of what you absolutely have to do, and what is not as important. Knowing before hand that you could wait an extra day or so before running to the bank, or to the supermarket will help you remain calm when the day starts to get hectic. It will also give you time to take a break or stop for coffee if your day get too crazy, and you need to take a breather.
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