Patience, learning to be patient, no matter what
Learning to be patient, no matter how angry you are can be very challenging. Anger is a natural emotion but also an extremely powerful emotion that is hard for some people to express in a healthy manner. However, anger is rarely productive but it is an emotion that is normal and should be expressed. Practicing patience is a way to deal effectively with anger. Many times if a situation has caused feelings of anger, being patient can help deal with those feelings and allow you to deal with the situation in a calm, healthy way. Anger that is not expressed in a healthy, effective way can have negative effects on a person's health and well being.
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There are several things you can do that will help you learn to be more patient in any situation, resulting in less anger and negativity:
- Simply count to ten. This is a well-known, yet effective thing to do before reacting to a situation. When you count to ten, you have a chance to calm yourself down and gain your composure and self control so that you can react to the situation in a positive, healthy manner.
- Review what you know about geography. Sometimes simple counting to ten is just that, too simple. There is not a lot of thought or effort needed so gaining your composure or self control is not accomplished. Instead try naming as many states in the U.S. as possible or name the capitals of each state. This is something that will require more thought and effort, which may divert your thoughts and give you enough time to calm down so that you can properly deal with the situation.
- Close your eyes. If you find your are running out of patience, try closing your eyes for thirty to sixty seconds. Of course you should not do this when you are driving or other similar situations but when possible to safely do so. You can also try thinking of something beautiful or remembering a happy memory while your eyes are closed.
- Smile. When you are at your wit's end, smiling can be extremely difficult. However, studies have shown that smiling is an effective way of reducing negativity, even if the smile is forced and required a large amount of effort.
- Drink a glass of water. Take a deep breath and let the cold water run down your throat. Allow the cold water to be comforting. Be sure the water is cold but not spine chilling cold. The water should be cool and refreshing which may help you to keep your cool.
- You can try deep breathing, meditation, visualization or cope with the situation by physically removing yourself from the source of anger or conflict. Removing yourself from the situation is effective because you are able to take some time to clear your head and fully explore your emotions so you are then able to deal with the situation calmly and rationally.
- Have a talk. Simply sitting down with a person that is not involved in the situation and venting your feeling of frustration and anger is extremely helpful. You are able to express your emotions of anger any way that you want. When you have expressed and vented your feelings and emotions, you are better able to deal with the situation in a calm effective manner.
- Get help. If you are having feelings of hurting yourself or others, get help. Call 911 or a friend, or a family member. Don't be afraid to ask for help to control your feelings of anger. Getting help can allow you to develop tools for coping with your anger and identify your anger patterns.
