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Do you ever feel that the world is moving at warped speed around you? Or that you seem to spend all of your time waiting for others to catch up with you? Apparently these two scenarios are quite common with people who struggle to pace themselves and deal with stress. I like to think that I’m quite good at slowing down but recently I have spent some time thinking about time management and the importance of patience with regards to relieving stress.
I would like to think that I am quite a patient person. I’m quite happy to sit on a bus reading my book whilst we’re stuck in traffic, I like getting to the airport early when catching a flight so I don’t have to hurry and can do a spot of people-watching, I will even happily sit through the adverts before that film starts at the cinema.
However, I’ve realised over time that these are not factors that make me a patient person. They simply mean that I can’t bear to be late for things and so would prefer to be ridiculously early and then wait. I’m also naturally quite lazy, so by sitting on the bus with my book it just means I haven’t had to get off and walk.
The more I think about this subject the more I realised that I am not a patient person – because every action in our lives relies on the action of another person.
The Importance of Patience
We live in a world where everything can be done with a few taps on a keyboard or swiping a screen. Parcels can be delivered the same day, food can be delivered to our doors within minutes, entire holidays can be booked with just a day’s notice, entire TV series’ can be watched in a few hours.
We rarely have to wait for anything any more, so when we do have to suddenly wait for something to happen we’re more likely to feel anxious.
I’ve been thinking over the last couple of months about the various ways I can make my life easier, simpler, less stressful and to spend more time doing the things I enjoy.
Stop Hitting Refresh
I’m pretty sure we all do it, we’re waiting for an email response or we’ve just posted to Instagram and we’re so desperate for that acknowledgement or validation that we simply keep hitting the refresh button or reopening the app.
The key is to send that email, or post that image and then step away, allow time for people to read and respond. It isn’t easy, especially at first, but you’ll soon find that in time you’re more grateful for the reply you receive and appreciative of the time that person has taken.
Remember, other people are busy too and can’t necessarily drop everything to respond to you immediately. Give at least 24 hours before chasing for a response.
Stop Comparing Numbers
As a blogger it’s easy to get sucked into those conversations about numbers. You can easily spend ages just looking at how many pageviews you get each day or whether your social media following is going up or down. This can feel great if the numbers are constantly increasing but the minute your numbers start going down you’ll find yourself feeling miserable and questioning your work and value.
The worst part is that you’re also likely to start comparing these numbers to those of other bloggers.
There is nothing wrong with looking at these numbers, in fact it can help you gain perspective and boost your confidence, the key is to not let it take over. Just look at those figures once a month, pop them into a spreadsheet and then ignore them until next time.
Stick to a To-Do List
I love a to-do list, but I also have a habit of veering off it and taking on different pieces of work that I might be able to get finished quicker.
Since the beginning of the year I have made a more conscious effort to use to-do lists to not only be more productive, but also to manage my time better. This is for both the work I do in my 9-5 and for the blog. I’ve recently been writing daily to-do lists and sticking to them as much as possible. Any tasks that then come up and aren’t urgently required for that day are then added to a list for another day.
By managing my time more successfully I find that I am not just doing the tasks I enjoy but completing everything as when it needs to be done, which ultimately makes me feel more productive and accomplished.
Slow Down
If you really want to learn patience then you also need to learn to slow down, to appreciate small pleasures and enjoy quiet moments. Think of any moment where you think to yourself “I can’t wait” and then simply do just that. Make yourself wait.
Avoid bingeing on your favourite TV series – instead, remember what life used to be like before Netflix and Amazon Prime and watch just one episode a week.
Avoid planning anything for your next trip – instead, just book the trip and then arrive with the idea of being spontaneous.
Focus on Yourself
As I said at the beginning of this post, the thing I find difficult is when I have to wait or rely on other people.
The key is to try not to rely too heavily on others too often. Create your own goals, provide your own incentives, do your own work, keep track of your own progress, and manage your time well.
Do you have any other tips for understanding the importance of patience you would like to share?
Let me know in the comments.
