It is normal to be impatient once in a while, but if you find that high-stress situations frequently leave you feeling impatient, you might want to consider some strategies to ease your anxiety. If impatience occurs every time you get stuck in heavy traffic or when your spouse takes too long to get ready, annoyance can quickly turn to anger. By learning how to calm down during stressful situations, you can become a more patient person and control your mental health.
Take Deep Breaths
Breathing is rooted in our survival skills to keep us safe. Our brains have a tendency to go to extremes during stressful situations because we are overwhelmed by urgency. Most of the time, situations are not as time-sensitive as we make them out to be, and we simply need to provide our body with the respiration that impatience is taking away.
Impatience can lead to hyperventilating, where we experience short, quick breaths, depriving the body of necessary oxygen. Take some deep breaths to remind your body that you are not in danger even though you feel uneasy.
Find a Distraction
Instead of spending all of your time waiting for a response or for things to go your way, keep yourself busy. Doing something with your hands can be a great way to distract your mind. Try playing a game on your phone, exercising, listening to music, or putting together a puzzle to keep your mind going in a different direction. Taking a walk can also be a great way to relieve your stress and shift your focus to the trees, the sun, and the fresh air.
Think About the Big Picture
Dwelling on your feelings of impatience is not going to make them go away. Instead of thinking so hard about the goal you are trying to accomplish, take a step back and consider the larger perspective at hand.
If someone has disappointed you, remember that they are not acting to hurt you or be spiteful. Whenever you are impatient with someone, think about the big picture. It is common for the people we care about to disappoint us once in a while. It does not mean we need to shut them out. Practicing patience can do wonders for your mental health.
Impatience can get in the way of friendships and make you an angrier person if you let your feelings take control. The best thing you can do to increase your patience is to take deep breaths, find distractions, and think about the entire situation for what it is. At Alta Loma, we understand the importance of taking care of your mental health, and we are here to help you. Located in Georgetown, Texas, we can provide you with individualized therapy, therapeutic recreational activities, education, and much more. Give us a call at (866) 457-3843 for more information.
