5 Simple Habits to Cultivate Patience

Most of us are aware of how important patience is. But there’s a big difference between wanting to be patient and actually being patient. The world we live in today isn’t exactly conducive to peace and calm.

Patience is a transcendental virtue. The most important things in life take time. Anything worthwhile combines moments of action with moments of waiting. There’s a time for working hard and a time for achievement.

Cultivating patience isn’t easy, nor is it impossible. Habit plays a big role here. You are used to reacting in a hurry. You don’t wait long enough, nor do you pause when you should. Learning new habits that help you cultivate patience is really important. Here are five habits that you can start working on today.

1. Never judge

What does judging others have to do with cultivating patience? Well, to be honest, quite a lot. Sometimes we spend too much energy questioning others. We think about all the bad things they do and what they could or should be doing. This exercise puts a lot of internal tension between us and the rest of the world.

Judging others means putting on a hostile front. This hostility often translates into intolerance, which triggers impatience. On the other hand, if you learn to accept others just as they are, it’s easier to maintain your inner balance. Maintaining your own internal equilibrium makes it easier to cultivate patience.

2. Distance yourself from conflict

If you think about it, most conflict is basically useless. It’s born from suffering and pain that all of us carry around to some degree or another, but it’s often a dead end. Conflict is an expression of non-conformity that often makes you feel worse.

Conflict isn’t bad in and of itself. On the contrary, it can be enriching because it helps you see things from another point of view. It can also help you see the mistakes you’re making. The key is knowing how to manage conflict. You have to understand how to keep it from building to avoid a state of constant tension.

3. Recognize what others have to offer

If you want to cultivate patience, you have to learn to value what others have to offer. Every day, many different people do things for you and help you in different ways. None of those people are perfect, but neither are you. At the end of the day, they enrich your life and make it much better.

When you ignore what others give, you end up putting too much importance on their small failures. You can only cultivate patience by accepting and valuing others. If you recognize what others do for you, you put yourself in a more generous and peaceful place. Not just with yourself, but with others.

4. Slow down

One of the worst things about this day and age is our obsession with speed. We’ve become enemies of slowness. We’ve lost sight of the fact that the most valuable things in life take time. Sometimes the difference between a good or a bad decision or action is waiting just a moment.

You are your own master builder. You are the architect of your life. If you want to do everything quickly, your structure won’t be solid and secure. The foundation you build will be fragile and weak. Instead, when you realize you’re rushing, slow down a bit.

5. Breathing, a fundamental action for cultivating patience

Breathing encompasses many of the secrets to having a healthy mind and emotions. Oxygen is one of the most important nutrients for your brain. Consequently, everything that has to do with breathing is related to how your inner life functions.

Taking time to breathe ideally three times a day is a very healthy habit. Not only is it good for your physical body, but it also helps you cultivate patience. The best thing is to close your eyes and try not to think about anything. Focus on the air entering and leaving your body, focus on your own life force.

In order to cultivate patience, you must be patient. This isn’t something you can do overnight. It requires time and effort, but it’s worth it. It’s an achievement that changes you forever and enriches your life. Try it!