Impatient people can test your patience. It’s inevitable that you would encounter an impatient person at work, school, or in your personal life. It’s difficult to deal with someone who always wants things right away or someone who easily gets irritated if everything is not what they expect it to be. Learn the art of reacting to impatience and being the bigger person.
Here are ways to practice patience for impatient people:
Don’t invalidate their feelings
A common response to someone impatient is to ”calm down.” But oftentimes, saying this would only make things worse. You are basically telling the person that they are upset for no reason. For you, they might be overreacting but telling them this when they are already upset and stressed out won’t do any good.
Use “I” statements when talking to impatient people
To alleviate what the person is feeling, be mindful of your language. The goal is to find a solution and not to blame someone. You don’t want to start a fight with someone who is already not in a good mood. To express what you feel without causing blame, make “I” statements. For example:
“I have a hard time focusing on my work when you check in every now and then. I will need a few hours to complete this. You can check in again tomorrow.”
Lend a helping hand
We usually get impatient when we are up against a deadline or we are overwhelmed with tasks. We have different tolerance for this type of stress and react differently. Some may easily get overwhelmed and frustrated. Offer assistance when you notice someone is getting impatient because he or she is overwhelmed with tasks. This way, you are recognizing the fact that they are going through something difficult. This can be enough to calm them down, or maybe they just need to vent for a while. You would rather listen to a short rant than deal with a meltdown.
Keep yourself from getting easily provoked
An impatient person’s attitude can trigger an angry response. When you are tempted to answer impatience with anger, keep in mind that it will only make things worse. You can try the following to calm yourself down before the situation escalates:
Take deep breaths. Breathe in air through your mouth for four counts. Hold the breath for seven counts and then slowly breathe out for eight counts. Repeat as needed (until you regain composure).
Ask to take a break. Take some time to gather your thoughts and calm yourself down. You can take a quick walk or call someone. Once you have cooled off, you can come back to face and sort out the issue.
Find someone who can mediate. There are times when an impatient person is just too difficult to deal with. If it’s your coworker, you might want your superior to mediate between the two of you. In other situations, you can have someone both of you trust to become your mediator. Having one impartial person can prevent you from getting wound out and help you sort out the issue without being involved emotionally.
Be honest
You should not belittle an impatient person, but you should not tolerate their impatience if it’s causing stress to you and other people. You must not feel like you have to just accept it and say nothing about it. You can be honest and let the person know your concern, but you have to choose your words. The person shouldn’t feel like you are attacking them since it will not help. Patience doesn’t mean not saying anything when someone is being impatient. It means being able to respond openly in a calm and friendly manner.
When all else fails, you can choose to ignore the behaviour and not let it get the best of you
There are some people that are just impatient, and you cannot change them. But you can choose how to respond. If after cautiously expressing how you feel about their attitude, they’d still continue with their behaviour, there may be nothing much to do than to ignore it. It’s a battle not worth fighting for. Don’t take it personally. It’s okay to accept that someone is a bit impatient. Life goes on.
Ignoring is applicable when you are not seeing them on a regular basis. If you don’t have an ongoing relationship with the impatient person, you are just probably wasting your time and energy focusing on their behaviour.
How Reiki Helps Overcome Impatience and in Dealing With Impatient People
Imagine giving up worry and just being grateful for what your life is now. Sometimes we often think that we need this to happen or we need to have this to be happy. But we can actually not need anything else to be happy.
A lot of our worries are because of the unnecessary thoughts we feed our minds. Impatience and irritability fall in this category. Being grateful for being exactly where you do not mean you deny feelings of anger, impatience, or frustrations, but it means recognizing that most frustrations and anger are caused by the dialogues in our minds.
Reiki is about being in the NOW instead of dwelling on the things that happened in the past or hurrying toward what will happen next or the future. To be impatient or to be in a hurry negates the gift of NOW for some future moment.
Reiki can help you free yourself from impatience and frustration. It’s a gentle touch therapy that involves placing the therapist’s or your own hands-on different locations on your body to promote relaxation and a sense of calm.
Moreover, Reiki can reduce stress and anxiety. When you are less stressed and calmer, it will be easier for you to deal with impatient people. You’re less likely to get provoked by other people’s negative behaviour. Learn more about Reiki sessions that are available in-person and distant Reiki healing to support you wherever you are.
Remember that while we cannot control other people’s behaviour, we can always take the high road. It’s not always easy but as you continue to practice patience with impatient people, it will become easier and you’ll be happier.
