4 POWERFUL BENEFITS OF BEING PATIENT AND HOW TO LEARN THE SKILL

Patience is a skill and working on it has many benefits – even for your health. Here are some ways to get better at it.

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Even nice people get impatient. It’s human, but part of the problem is that we now live in a world where everyone expects things to happen instantly. We demand it and others demand it from us.

“Impatience will cost you," says Dr. Ilango Ponnuswami, head of the Department of Social Work at the Bharathidasan University in India. “It can cost you money, friendships, pain and suffering or any number of consequences simply because impatience is often followed by bad decisions.”

Because impatience often leads to building stress and aggression, it can cause high blood pressure and be bad for your heart. Just like hypertension, impatience-related stress can cause premature ageing.

Though we can’t all have the patience of a saint, we can work on it and get better. Studies have shown, for example, that people who are more conscientious, agreeable and open to new experiences tend to have more patience.



THE BENEFITS OF BEING PATIENT
Andres Pira, CEO of Blue Horizons Developments, knows a thing or two about being patient, as he explains in his book Homeless to Billionaire. It’s the story of his journey from homeless and unemployed to telemarketer and a Thai baht billionaire. These are the main benefits of patience, as he explains them.

1. PATIENCE HELPS YOU ACHIEVE GOALS
Success is not something that can be achieved overnight. It’s rather a slow but promising process of growth. Impatience won’t get you there, but perseverance will.

2. PATIENCE GIVES US TIME TO THINK STRATEGICALLY
When you’re being patient, you let things unfold before reacting. That gives you time to analyse the situation and make better decisions.

3. PATIENCE BRINGS OUT THE BEST IN YOU
By being patient, you learn from mistakes, become better at what you do and eventually achieve what you were striving for.

4. PATIENCE MAKES YOU A BETTER LEADER
As a leader, you help people develop their skills and be their best. Some learn quickly, others don’t. A good leader has to be patient with them.



Related article: How to play nice without being a pushover

HOW TO LEARN PATIENCE
Tips on becoming a more patient person from various experts.

IDENTIFY WHAT EMOTION YOU FEEL WHEN YOU’RE IMPATIENT
Recognise when you’re getting impatient and figure out what is causing it. If it’s something inevitable, you have to see that accepting it is better and less stressful.

SEE THE PROBLEM DIFFERENTLY
Whatever is triggering your impatience, is often not about you. Load-shedding isn’t happening just to slow you down. The train isn’t full so you can’t get a seat. Look around you at the other people being held up. The ones who are just going with the flow seem much calmer. They’re on to something.

REMEMBER THE BIG PICTURE
Remember why putting up with delays or frustration will ultimately help you get what you want. When you’re tempted to react, take a moment to think about the consequences and the reaction of others. Is it worth the drama?

LEARN TO ACCEPT
There is often nothing that can be done to change things. Acceptance will help you stay calm. It doesn’t mean you’re okay with what’s going on. It just means you don't want to make things harder for yourself. Let it go and you’ll feel calmer. You’ll also be able to feel more compassion for other people, which is good for your relationships with them.

BE KIND TO YOURSELF
It's okay to mess up sometimes. Don’t beat yourself up about it. But learn from it: did your outburst make a difference? Did it make you feel better? Chances are it didn’t.

Related article: 10 Tiny acts of kindness to lift your soul

Sources: https://www.nbcnews.com , https://www.forbes.com , https://www.wellandgood.com , https://www.lifehack.org , https://www.livescience.com