Effective Strategies to Develop and Master Patience

Shekhaa Hameed August 21, 2020 0 Comments

Julie Spira once said, “Patience is a virtue and the best things in life are worth waiting for.” Patience is a skill that is embedded within us however, we need to continuously work on building and strengthening it to live a better life. The following article will explain the importance of developing patience as a skill and different ways one can master this useful skill in their lives.

What is Patience?

Patience is essentially “the ability to stay calm while you’re waiting for an outcome that you need or want” (“Patience: Don’t let”, n.d.). Most importantly, this skill allows you to control your emotions or impulses and proceed calmly whenever you’re placed in a difficult situation (a situation that can easily get you frustrated or agitated). Although it can be difficult to remain patient in certain situations, it is an extremely important skill that one should develop and maintain to gain its benefits, not only in the corporate world but in your personal life as well.

Benefits of Gaining & Maintaining Patience

1. Reduced Stress Levels and Happier Life

- As you gain patience, you don’t get as stressed, angry or agitated in situations as you would normally (Hereford, n.d.)
- This is because you are in better control of your emotions
- You are able to deal with conflicts more efficiently and think with more clarity as opposed to when your emotions could override your judgement
- Hence, you are able to lead a happier life as you decide what makes you happy
- Patience allows you to take control of your emotions

2. Better Decision Making

Patience allows you to take a step back, assess the issue/situation, and be fully aware of your judgement as opposed to making a rash and emotional decision (Hereford, n.d.)
You are able to clearly address the benefits & disadvantages and take a suitable decision with a calm and clear mind
There is a Chinese saying which is,

“One moment of patience may ward off a great disaster. One moment of impatience may ruin a whole life” (Phillips, 2020)

3. Reduced Conflict & Better Relationships

Patience prevents you from acting on your impulse or triggers leading to reduced stress and conflict in every area of your life
Developing patience can lead to better personal and work relationships
It can help you achieve your long term goals and vision of life

4. Helps us understand and appreciate the growth and its struggles

“Patience is waiting. Not passively waiting. That is laziness. But to keep going when the going is hard or slow-that is patience” (Anonymous)
As we learn to stay calm and overcome obstacles, we will ultimately be guided to success
Patience allows us to understand that everything takes time and we need to learn to wait without discourage to achieve and grow

Ways to Develop & Master Patience:

1. Understand your Impatience triggers

Be mindful of the things that are getting you frustrated or irritated easily
Keep a journal to record when you start to feel impatient and also try to identify what it was that made you feel that way; this can help you identify your actions and understand why you respond in that way (“Patience: Don’t let”, n.d.)
Identify your triggers and which situations allow your emotions to override and try to focus on tackling those one at a time by being aware
Make your goal to practice patience for a day; this way you will be mindful and put thought into everything you do and your reactions. Make note of the smarter decisions you have made and try to make an effort in practicing patience every day (Hereford, n.d.)
You have to remember patience requires effort and is a skill that has to be practiced continuously to be developed

2. Learn to manage the physical symptoms

Try to take deep breaths slowly and count to 10; you may need to repeat this several times to lower your heart rate and relax your body (“Patience: Don’t let”, n.d.)
Impatience makes you tense your muscles involuntarily, hence you should consciously focus on relaxing those muscles
Whenever you feel impatient or feel that your emotions might override your judgement, take hold of the situation, take deep breaths, and focus on relaxing your body to gain clarity of thought
If breathing doesn’t help, try to take a walk and refocus your thoughts
This will allow you to distance yourself emotionally from the situation (“Patience: Don’t let”, n.d.)

3. Practice Empathy

Practicing empathy and putting yourself in other people’s shoes can greatly aid in preventing impatience as you are then forced to see beyond your frustrations
You will then be able to hear out the other side of the story and simultaneously be able to develop compassion for the other person as well (“Patience: Don’t let”, n.d.)
Try to think before you speak

4. Practice “Waiting for things”

“A study published in Psychological Science shows that waiting for things actually makes us happier in the long run” (Power, n.d.)
Start by something small such as waiting extra minutes to eat that chocolate or drinking that juice
Then progress onto probably waiting for some time before buying a certain product
With time, you will be able to develop patience and live a happier and content life as you will also learn gratitude

Also Read: How to Practice Mindfulness [Effective Steps]

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Shekhaa Hameed

An aspiring lawyer and entrepreneur currently pursuing a double major in International Relations and Economics. She has been a guest speaker for the World Tolerance Summit and aims to bring a positive change to society.

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