These are trying times for us all. Dealing with anxiety and stress can be a struggle. When we are overwhelmed most of the time, we end up feeling exhausted. It’s times like this that we can use patience to manage anxiety and stress.
Use Patience to Manage Anxiety and Stress
Patience Over Everything
Unlike the common notion, patience isn’t an inborn quality. It is a quality that you have to work on daily. In the fast paced life today, stress has become common, and patience is one of the simplest ways to deal with it. Allow yourself to slow down and experience each moment in its present state. Patience teaches you that it is okay to not do everything in one go- it is okay that there are tasks that are yet to be done.
It teaches you to be grounded and experience the present, which is a quick ways to stop stress and anxiety right in its tracks.
Ditch the Control
A lot of us tend to be unhappy with our lives and are stressed and anxious because we want to have control over everything in life. When things don’t go the way we want them to, we get frustrated and overwhelmed. We don’t rest until things go back to the way they ‘are supposed to.’
The more we learn that we are not always in control of everything in our life, the better we get at patience. The next time you’re in a situation that you don’t like and don’t seem to have any power over, relax. Slow down and listen to what life seems to be telling you. Try to look at things from a different perspective. Is there something you can do? Is the situation teaching you something? Will you having control over the situation make it better? Will you be happier after that happens?
Change Directions
More often than not, what most of us really need to distract ourselves and get ourselves into a more positive, productive frame of mind is just a little change in direction. One of the best ways to ditch all your anxiety for good is to immerse yourself completely into something else- it can be literally anything that helps keep you engaged- taking up a new sport, learning a new skill, reading a good book, etc.
Analyze your current situation and and see if changing paths is something you can do. Think over whether it will help you heal and give you peace of mind and then take it from there.
Once you start to bring more patience into your life, you’ll see how you transform into a more compassionate, peaceful and happy individual.
Yesterday I watched a video which was mesmerising because it contains scenes that enrage so many drivers and yet this man infused his drive with zen and patience. It is a wonderful attribute to develop, especially as we begin to go back out into the world after confinement.
Introducing the Ogmios School of Zen Motoring
https://youtu.be/RidKpZEJj4E
Claire ‘Word by Word’ recently posted..The Long Goodbye
These are some important points that you have listed in this blogpost, Corrine. Patience is important and as you specified, it can also help in managing anxiety and stress,
Ste recently posted..Atithi Devo Bhava
I do that nowadays. When something bothers me, makes me anxious, I try and remove myself from the scene mentally and go away to some faraway, fantasy land. It feels good that way and gives me time to rethink matters, see things in a clear light and thus reduce the anxiety levels.
Patience always felt like a nice word that grownups often advised us to follow as kids. When I actually learnt to practice patience in my adult life, it wrung the life out of me, but over the years I’ve known to appreciate it because that is what makes life bearable during the tough times.
“One of the best ways to ditch all your anxiety for good is to immerse yourself completely into something else- it can be literally anything that helps keep you engaged- taking up a new sport, learning a new skill, reading a good book, etc.” I
—Couldn’t tell you how true these words of yours has been for me, especially during these last few years of my life. I don’t think I could have survived it thus far, without indulging in creativity and those seemingly commonplace artworks (of mine) that ensured sanity.
With my better half in France, we (my kids and me) stuck in the lockdown in Mumbai, and all our plans to shift base to France thrown to the dustbin, I am now at the fag end of the holding on to my fort. April gave me a reason to be distracted with A to Z but after that I felt a void. I now have started giving me cooking challenges to keep my sanity intact. The clicking more than cooking is what keeps me in a good frame of mind!
Every night when I go to bed, I thank God for gifting me patience to trade the day with strength.
I know how difficult it must be for you, Anagha. Hang in there. I’m sure we’re all learning lessons from this experience that will last us a lifetime. Hugs.
Corinne Rodrigues recently posted..7 Ways to Deepen Your Relationship with Your Partner
Great Advice Corrine. Especially, I think to change paths, immerse yourself in something different. As a pastor I generally encourage people NOT to pray for patience (because) what generally happens is you get situations that require you to exercise patience and that is not what people want when they pray for patience. It makes me feel a little bit like a ‘bad pastor’ but I think it is practical and true.
Haha..I enjoyed that, Michele. Makes sense. People need more wise and practical pastors like you!
Completely agree. My patience helps me being positive in my life.
Thanks for sharing, Mahati.
Patience is a difficult trait to attain. Especially in the current situation, we’re in dire need of it. Trying to change directions is a wonderful tip. This lockdown period is helping to carry out some much needed learning.
Dashy recently posted..On Mothers and Chores
Yes, we’re all learning new skills and new ways of thinking during this time, Dashy. Thanks for stopping by.
Hello Corinne, when we are anxious or stressed it is difficult to be patient. I know that for me yoga has been a wonderful way for me to reduce my mental and physical stress. It keeps me centred and much more relaxed about life in general. My husband has PTSD and has found the restrictions testing at times. He admits that his patience is low but can recognise this and he is trying to work out ways to overcome his stress of not being able to see his 94 year old Mother. Thank you for some wise tips and sharing with us at #MLSTL. Stay well and have a lovely week. x
Thank you for sharing, Sue. Yoga and meditation can be great ways of reducing stress. It must be really hard for your husband. These are truly testing times for us all, but some more than others. I just read a heartbreaking story of a 11 year old who had to stay home alone for a fortnight. He lost his Dad to the virus and his Mom tested positive and had to be hospitalized. Thanks for caring neighbours he was taken care of.
Thanks for #MLSTL. I enjoy reading and sharing all the posts.
Sometimes thinking about something would make me anxious and when I change my thoughts to something else anxiety eases and eventually disappears too. The problem is I may not always remember to change my thinking track. I agree Corinne, a little patience can avert many problems we face on a day-to-day basis.
Vinitha recently posted..54 Things To Do When You are Bored
Yes, I think we all tend to overthink things at times, Vini. Since, finally it all works for our good, you’d think we’d be sensible enough to stop worrying, right?
Reading this post was such great timing for me! I do notice that my anxiety is way higher when I feel like I don’t have any control over the situation. I’ll start following your advice and just relax. Thank you for this!
Glad this helped you, Michelle. Do take care of yourself. There’s nothing worth stressing ourselves about, says the woman who does that from time to time! 😉
Corinne Rodrigues recently posted..7 Ways to Deepen Your Relationship with Your Partner
A very useful post! I try to get a little calmer every day, but it’s an uphill task.
Great points! Stress is definitely greater when our perspective is that we can somehow control everything, which we can’t. The more we align our expectations with reality, the easier it is to accept life as just life happening to us versus life happening against us.