If we were more patient with ourselves, the world would be a much happier, healthier place to live. We work so hard at getting where we want to go that we forget to enjoy the journey.
We should be patient with ourselves in all situations, but there are some that require even more patience than others.
And of course, they seem to be the situations that cause us to be the most impatient with ourselves. Here’s a short list of times when it’s important to be extra patient with yourself.
Learning a New Skill
Yes, maybe it only took your best friend a weekend to learn to ski, but not everyone is the same. I bet there are things that you learned faster than he did, but we often forget that part of the equation.
No matter if you are learning a new job duty or a new hobby, try to just let it take as long as it takes to learn it completely. Being impatient with yourself is only going to slow down your progress.
Going through a Stressful Life Event
A big life change, even if it’s a happy event, like a new baby or a move to the house of your dreams, is stressful. It takes your body and mind time to adjust to the change. Becoming impatient with the situation is only going to cause more stress, which creates a vicious, unhappy cycle.
Give yourself the time you need to settle into the situation. You’ll be glad you did!
Suffering from Illness or Injury
It seems to never fail–we get sick or hurt right when we have the least amount of time to be laid up. Ever wonder why that is? Probably because we’ve been so hard on ourselves that our bodies finally say, “Enough!” When you find yourself stuck in bed, relax and take the time you need to recover.
Being impatient with the situation will only slow your recovery time and make you more miserable. See it as a chance to slow down and take care of yourself.
Grieving
Whether we are grieving over the loss of a pet, a relationship or a loved one, grief moves at it’s own pace. We can’t speed it up, even though we wish we could. Everyone grieves differently and there’s no way to predict how long it will take. When you experience grief, don’t expect too much of yourself too soon.
Be patient and feel the feelings that you need to so that the healing can begin.
