9 Small Habits to Become More Patient Every Day
Patience is a precious resource in today’s world.
Everyone is so busy and rushed all the time. Patience is the antidote that grounds you in this chaos. Patience is how you stay focused. It takes you farther than being busy can, but with more care, purpose, and calm. Indeed, since I started working on my own patience, I saved myself from burnout even as I became more successful in my career and social life.
It is in these small ways that I nurture my patience every day.
1: Be the last one to enter the train
Being patient is choosing to wait when there is no reason to hurry.
It means choosing not to push when waiting is better, and choosing not to run when walking works just as well. It means choosing to be the last one to enter a building or mode of transportation. It means knowing that whether you get on the train first, fifth, or last has no impact on when it departs or when you arrive.
It means knowing that the the destination is not reached by pushing time.
2: Wait for one minute before you check your notification
Our phones are the worst destroyers of patience.
They increase our alertness by signaling news, updates, and messages — and thus reduce our ability to stay focused on one thing at a time. The easiest way to practice patience without having to make big changes to our daily screen use, is to simply wait a minute or two to check any notification. These two minutes alone can end up training you to become more patient and consider the importance of any urgent task that shows up.
Waiting a little can easily become waiting longer — and becoming more productive all the same.
3: Stand still
There are many opportunities to practice standing still.
The only requirement is to allow time to pass without trying to make it go faster. You can do this while chatting by the water fountain at work, while listening to the hum of the microwave, or while waiting for that aforementioned train. Standing still teaches your body to actually, literally wait, before proceeding to walk.
By standing still, you allow yourself to grow comfortable with not moving forwards.
4: Allow others to speak first
People tend to speak first out of impatience.
Either this is because no one else is talking and they want to fill the room with noise. Or, less nobly, they simply wish to get their own point across before anyone else gets their chance. Only doing the opposite — that is, patiently waiting for another to start the conversation — leads to actual patience.
Wait first, then speak.
5: Listen without interrupting
Interruption reveals impatience.
People interrupt others when they think their own opinion is more urgent and important. The only cure against this is to choose to sit back and listen fully. This means that you must be present in the conversation, without seeking to disrupt its pace.
Give the other time to speak.
6: Pause to look at the flowers
Sometimes, we need to stop and smell the flowers.
Flowers are small, ornate things that grow in clumps and clusters away from the busy streets of the city. Next time you take a walk, I urge you to pause for a minute and just observe them close-hand. Notice the colors and patterns and smell of the buds — and appreciate nature as it is in that moment.
Do not be like the cars that choose to drive past in a hurry.
7: Put your fork down after each bite
Eating becomes a chore when we haste ourselves through it.
On the other hand, it becomes an experience when we take it piece by piece. Putting your utensil down after you have taken a bite is a way to prolong this experience. Besides, by eating slowly, you learn to control those impulses that make you impatient for more.
Enjoying a meal in small bites is better than regretting the sudden emptiness of a bowl.
8: Read the entire thing without skimming
Skimming can go both ways.
It is great for getting the central tenets of any material without wasting time. However, it can damage your attention span in the long run. The more thoroughly you get through certain tasks, therefore, the more patient you can become.
Taking your time to read is often how you get the most out of the material.
9: Allow yourself to be bored
Boredom is a test.
You only pass it if you are patient.
By choosing to be patient in times of low engagement, you essentially prove two things to yoyrself. One, that you are able to survive periods of slowness. And two, that you are able to find contentedness with what there is now, without having to distract yourself with indulgent behaviors.
Be patient in times of boredom.
It cannot be rushed.
