How to Be More Patient

Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsHow to Be More PatientCharacteristics of Patient PeopleBenefits of Being More PatientPotential Pitfalls of Being ImpatientFAQ

Table of ContentsView All

View All

Table of Contents

How to Be More Patient

Characteristics of Patient People

Benefits of Being More Patient

Potential Pitfalls of Being Impatient

FAQ

Someone who is described as “patient” can often endure stressors, annoyances, and delays while remaining calm.

We live in an age where we expect instant gratification from everything. Packages must be delivered within 24 hours, and meals at a restaurant need to arrive within 30 minutes. As a result, many people have developed shorter attention spans and have grown more impatient as a result.

There are many benefits of learning to be more patient. High up on the list is that itreduces your stress levels. When you are impatient, you tend to get more worked up than typical, and impatience does little to fix the situation you are frustrated about.

If you find yourself feeling impatient very often and even in trivial situations, you may want to learn how to be more patient.

Here are some ways you can learn to cultivate more patience:Test your patience with smaller tasksIdentify triggersPractice mindfulnessSlow downPractice acceptance

Here are some ways you can learn to cultivate more patience:

Read on for a more in-depth look at these tips.

While some people seem to have an unlimited fountain of patience to tap from, you might struggle to be more patient. The good news is that it’s a character skill that can be learned with time and practice.

Below are a few ways to start.

Start Small

Becoming more patient is a journey, and you can start it with small steps. Take a slightly longer route on your walk home, wait a bit and appreciate the aroma of your food before diving into a meal you love.

Practice with things that will typically test your patience, like starting and finishing a giant jigsaw puzzle.

By doing these things, you’ll develop the character traits of a patient person.

Know Your Triggers

If you are not a typically impatient person, try to identify the things, places, or people that trigger your impatience.

Knowing your triggers will help you take better charge of a situation the next time you find yourself bristling with impatience.

For example, maybe you grow impatient when you see a long line at your favorite coffee shop. You can choose another time to go when you know it’ll be less busy or you can place a mobile order so that you can run into the shop quickly to grab your items.

Be More Mindful

Practicing mindfulnessdaily can help you become a more patient person. In a 2017 study, researchers found that practicing mindfulness during a stressful waiting period helped participants manage their expectations more effectively.Mindfulness helps you appreciate being in the moment, whether it’s spending time with loved ones or sitting in slow-moving traffic.

Do this for as long as you are comfortable with it. You can start with five minutes and work your way up.

Slow Down

Slowing things down when appropriate can help you build patience. Not every activity needs to be done instantly or hurriedly. Take stock of the aspects in your life you can afford to slow down.

Waiting for your coffee to brew in the morning? Try enjoying the process instead of tapping your foot impatiently or rushing off to do another task.

Practice Acceptance

You could either observe the cars around you, or you can play some music in your car. You might even want to call up a friend.

Knowing the character traits of a patient person as compared to an impatient person can give you better insight into what learned behaviors could help you become a more patient person. It can also help you realize what behaviors to unlearn.

Patient PeopleDoesn’t mind waiting when things take timeTries to understand why a task is taking too longRemains calm when delayedMakes calculated decisionsEven-tempered and typically slow to angerAre good listenersImpatient PeopleWants things done at a lighting speedPuts pressure on other people to perform tasks that are seemingly taking too longGets annoyed and frustrated when delayedMay sometimes make rash decisionsCan be short-temperedMay not take time to listen

Doesn’t mind waiting when things take time

Tries to understand why a task is taking too long

Remains calm when delayed

Makes calculated decisions

Even-tempered and typically slow to anger

Are good listeners

Impatient PeopleWants things done at a lighting speedPuts pressure on other people to perform tasks that are seemingly taking too longGets annoyed and frustrated when delayedMay sometimes make rash decisionsCan be short-temperedMay not take time to listen

Wants things done at a lighting speed

Puts pressure on other people to perform tasks that are seemingly taking too long

Gets annoyed and frustrated when delayed

May sometimes make rash decisions

Can be short-tempered

May not take time to listen

A great incentive for you to become a more patient person is to think of the wealth of benefits of being patient. High up on the list is that it reduces your stress levels. When you are patient, getting worked up at the slightest inconvenience becomes more difficult.

Other benefits of being patient include:

You’ve just read about the benefits of being more patient. On the flip side of this are the potential pitfalls of being impatient. Learning more about the disadvantages of impatience can motivate you to become a more patient person.

Some of these disadvantages include:

Frequently Asked Questions

Impatience is highly individual. What triggers your impatience might not trigger the next person’s. To find out what triggers your impatience, keep a journal. Make a small note every time you become exasperated when in a line or when you are short with a colleague or friend. Research shows that becoming more patient can help you better pursue your goals and lead to greater satisfaction even when facing difficulties.

Communication is key to becoming more patient with your children. Situations that are likely to trigger your impatience such as tantrums can be defused with open communication. By being patient with your children, you can help them also become more patient. Research shows patient children are less angry and exhibit self-regulatory behaviors as they age.

Communicating with a partner who isn’t patient can be challenging. However, it’s key to helping them become more patient. Listen to what they have to say and try not to react immediately. Give them the space to vent before communicating how and why you may find their behavior frustrating. With an impatient partner, continually exhibiting patience is a great strategy to get them to become more patient. If communicating does not work, it may be time to enlist the help of acouple’s therapist.

A Word From Verywell

If you’ve not been the most patient person in the past, you should know that patience needs time and practice. As you start on this journey to becoming more patient, you shouldn’t feel bad when you find yourself fuming at a delayed order or getting worked up because your Uber is late. Count to three and remind yourself of the importance of being more patient.

7 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Dictionary.com.Patient.Cleveland Clinic.7 tips for better patience.Sweeny K, Howell JL.Bracing later and coping better: benefits of mindfulness during a stressful waiting period. Pers Soc Psychol Bull. 2017;43(10):1399-1414.Kumar A, Killingsworth MA, Gilovich T.Waiting for merlot: anticipatory consumption of experiential and material purchases. Psychol Sci. 2014;25(10):1924-1931.Mariotti A.The effects of chronic stress on health: new insights into the molecular mechanisms of brain–body communication.Future Sci OA. 2015;1(3):FSO23.Schnitker SA.An examination of patience and well-being.The Journal of Positive Psychology. 2012;7(4):263-280.Cole PM, Tan PZ, Hall SE, et al.Developmental changes in anger expression and attention focus: learning to wait.Dev Psychol. 2011;47(4):1078-1089.

7 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Dictionary.com.Patient.Cleveland Clinic.7 tips for better patience.Sweeny K, Howell JL.Bracing later and coping better: benefits of mindfulness during a stressful waiting period. Pers Soc Psychol Bull. 2017;43(10):1399-1414.Kumar A, Killingsworth MA, Gilovich T.Waiting for merlot: anticipatory consumption of experiential and material purchases. Psychol Sci. 2014;25(10):1924-1931.Mariotti A.The effects of chronic stress on health: new insights into the molecular mechanisms of brain–body communication.Future Sci OA. 2015;1(3):FSO23.Schnitker SA.An examination of patience and well-being.The Journal of Positive Psychology. 2012;7(4):263-280.Cole PM, Tan PZ, Hall SE, et al.Developmental changes in anger expression and attention focus: learning to wait.Dev Psychol. 2011;47(4):1078-1089.

Dictionary.com.Patient.Cleveland Clinic.7 tips for better patience.Sweeny K, Howell JL.Bracing later and coping better: benefits of mindfulness during a stressful waiting period. Pers Soc Psychol Bull. 2017;43(10):1399-1414.Kumar A, Killingsworth MA, Gilovich T.Waiting for merlot: anticipatory consumption of experiential and material purchases. Psychol Sci. 2014;25(10):1924-1931.Mariotti A.The effects of chronic stress on health: new insights into the molecular mechanisms of brain–body communication.Future Sci OA. 2015;1(3):FSO23.Schnitker SA.An examination of patience and well-being.The Journal of Positive Psychology. 2012;7(4):263-280.Cole PM, Tan PZ, Hall SE, et al.Developmental changes in anger expression and attention focus: learning to wait.Dev Psychol. 2011;47(4):1078-1089.

Dictionary.com.Patient.

Cleveland Clinic.7 tips for better patience.

Sweeny K, Howell JL.Bracing later and coping better: benefits of mindfulness during a stressful waiting period. Pers Soc Psychol Bull. 2017;43(10):1399-1414.

Kumar A, Killingsworth MA, Gilovich T.Waiting for merlot: anticipatory consumption of experiential and material purchases. Psychol Sci. 2014;25(10):1924-1931.

Mariotti A.The effects of chronic stress on health: new insights into the molecular mechanisms of brain–body communication.Future Sci OA. 2015;1(3):FSO23.

Schnitker SA.An examination of patience and well-being.The Journal of Positive Psychology. 2012;7(4):263-280.

Cole PM, Tan PZ, Hall SE, et al.Developmental changes in anger expression and attention focus: learning to wait.Dev Psychol. 2011;47(4):1078-1089.

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Start Small#

Know Your Triggers#

Be More Mindful#

Slow Down#

Practice Acceptance#

Frequently Asked Questions#

A Word From Verywell#