Actively cultivate patience as a strength to better deal with suffering, uncertainty, and waiting, especially for important life events that are beyond immediate control.
Identify a higher-order purpose beyond yourself for enduring waiting or suffering (e.g., community, society, spiritual connection) to energize you and prevent anger or giving up.
Actively train and develop patience, as it is a quality that can be improved through various strategies like meditation, cognitive reappraisal, and transcendence.
Lean into discomfort, restlessness, and uncertainty rather than avoiding them, as this direct engagement can lead to long-term freedom from being controlled by difficult emotions.
Practice becoming aware of and identifying your current emotions (e.g., anger, sadness, anxiety), as this awareness can take power away from negative emotions and is a critical step in regulating them effectively.
Confront and become fully aware of negative emotions without judgment, rather than resorting to escapism, as this is crucial for developing genuine, long-term patience.
Practice cognitive reappraisal by reframing difficult situations, such as finding benefits in hardship or recognizing that things could be worse, to blunt emotional impact and cultivate patience.
Actively seek and engage in “flow” activities (pleasurable, challenging but not too challenging, with clear progress tracking) to significantly ameliorate the negative effects of long-term uncertainty and improve well-being.
Practice loving kindness meditation to build connections, foster a sense of being part of a larger whole, and cultivate empathy and compassion, which are crucial for interpersonal patience.
When you notice yourself rushing, use it as a signal to pause, take a breath, and re-center yourself in the present moment, as rushing indicates a lack of presence and can lead to loss of focus.
Appreciate and value every moment you catch yourself getting lost or impatient and choose to return to presence or your intention, as these moments of recovery are crucial for growth and progress in developing patience.
View patience as a character strength that can be built through consistent habits, and reward yourself for practicing it, recognizing that small, rewarding steps contribute to long-term growth.
Use daily hassles (traffic, lines, phone waits) as opportunities to practice patience, as these situations serve as training grounds for developing the skill for more significant life challenges.
Practice “dropping in” to the current reality of a situation or person, letting go of past expectations, to foster patience by accepting things as they are and enabling authentic relationships.
Understand that acceptance of a situation means acknowledging reality as it is, not necessarily enjoying it or being passive, which prevents misinterpreting patience as resignation and allows for skillful action.
Adopt the perspective that people, including those you are locked down with, are generally doing the best they can, fostering patience and compassion and avoiding unnecessary frustration.
When communicating, especially in interpersonal conflicts, use “I language” to express your feelings and needs without condemning others, fostering better communication and more constructive interactions.
When you notice something about yourself or others that you don’t like, internally or externally say, “Welcome to the human race,” to foster universal acceptance and self-compassion.
Recognize and disengage from “useless” future conceptualizations or grim anticipations that are impossible to know or deal with in the present, as they only produce angst.
Maintain general optimism during open-ended uncertainty, but periodically allow for “defensive pessimism” to check preparedness, sustaining positivity while ensuring readiness for potential negative outcomes.
When waiting for news with a clear end, shift from general optimism to a more pessimistic mindset closer to the moment of truth, to prepare for bad news and reduce anxiety.
Incorporate meditation into your routine to stop, become aware of your emotions, and develop the self-awareness necessary for patience, especially in busy, stimulating environments.
Regularly check in with yourself to assess your current struggles and choose a meditation practice (e.g., mindfulness for anxiety, loving kindness for interpersonal issues) that best addresses those needs.
Designate specific physical spaces in your home for practicing patience-building activities like meditation, as associating a physical space with a habit can help activate those good habits.
Reflect on and identify personal activities that induce a state of flow, allowing you to intentionally engage in them to manage time, stress, and well-being.
When seeking to quiet your mind or pass time, prioritize engaging activities over merely relaxing ones (like passive TV watching), as they are more effective at absorbing your attention and preventing rumination.
If you enjoy them, consider playing video games or engaging in gamified activities, as they are often custom-made to create flow states, helping pass time and feel good.
Engage with compelling narratives through TV shows, movies, or novels to provide social connection, replenish well-being, and build empathy skills, which helps with interpersonal patience.
Approach the development of qualities like mindfulness and loving kindness as a continuous process of adding small, consistent efforts, encouraging persistent practice without discouragement.
If you run a business or are in HR, consider buying team subscriptions to the 10% Happier app to help colleagues gain more focus and clarity through meditation and improve interpersonal relations.