At my last doctor’s visit about a month ago, I felt frustrated and agitated after waiting 15 minutes in the relaxed and comfortable waiting room. Fast forward to last week during our family vacation; I happily waited in line for one hour in unbearable heat for a ride. So what changed? Why did I experience impatience in one setting and not the other? Why couldn’t I wait 15 minutes at the doctor’s to check on something as precious as my health? And why did I feel like waiting for one hour for a one-minute thrill ride with no lasting value was a better deal? Are we naturally born to be patient or impatient? Or, can we choose to be patient?
What is patience?
Patience is the ability to wait calmly for a later reward in the face of frustration or adversity.
According to Arnold Glasgow, “The key to everything is patience. You get the chicken by hatching the egg, not smashing it.”
Patience is a virtue fast becoming extinct in our current selfish and materialistic society. Today, we recognize and celebrate the ambitious go-getter and fail to realize that, at some point, they would have had to exhibit patience. The thing is, patience in itself is quiet and involves self-withdrawal and self-withholding. Not many people announce on rooftops and social media, “Here I am toiling away at my future goals with no rewards as yet to show for it.” But then, when the rewards of patience become visible, everyone is quick to announce!
We all get carried away by the glamour of it all and often fail to consider the investment of patience, work, and time that produced the outcome. We want the results, but we do not want to wait. That is why “get rich quick” and “lose weight fast” schemes are widespread these days. However, remember the saying, “Good things come to those who wait.”
Are there some health and wellness benefits of patience?
1) Studies show that people who are patient are less likely to experience symptoms of depression.
2) Other studies found that people who demonstrate patience were less likely to report health problems like headaches, acne flair-ups, ulcers, diarrhea, and pneumonia.
3) Patience improves your mental health and reduces stress and anxiety.
4) Patience helps you accomplish your goals and be future-oriented, as you cannot achieve some things without patience.
Patience in health and fitness
How many times have you started an exercise regimen or a nutrition plan only to quit after a few weeks because you did not see any results? Like everything else, the results of a healthy lifestyle take time and patience. Remember, every day you make a healthy food choice or walk an extra mile, you are chipping away at the stone, and your results will eventually become visible. To know more about maintaining a healthy lifestyle, check out “Exercise: A path to better health for women over forty.”
Here is a reasonable timeline to expect some visible results from choosing a healthy and active lifestyle.
For more on when to expect results, check out “When will I see results? lessons from the Acorn.”
How can you choose to be patient?
True, some people are more patient than others. However, you can practice patience, especially in situations you cannot control. Here are a few things you can do to overcome impatience.
1) Think about others and reframe the situation
For example, I get impatient when I wait in line to get my hair or nails done. I feel my time is too valuable to spend waiting. However, my manicurist, hairdresser, or the client before me also values their time. So, I must drop my egocentric thinking by patiently waiting my turn, although it is often challenging.
2) Plan for patience
You can stay busy while waiting patiently. Being patient does not mean you should twiddle your thumbs while waiting. For example, I connect with friends on social media while waiting for my beauty appointments, and I consider that time well-spent!
3) Practice gratitude
Gratitude is the antidote to impatience. Instead of being frustrated when standing in line at the grocery store, consider how fortunate you are to afford your groceries. Or think about the beggar on the street who has no idea how to obtain his next meal. And slowly, but surely, your impatience will disappear!
4) Practice mindfulness
Some people and situations will try your patience. Rather than getting aggravated, take deep breaths and practice visual imagery. Think about relaxing on a beach, staring at a clear blue sky, and feeling the ocean breeze on your skin.
5) Avoid obsessing over your goals
Fixating and obsessing over your goals can cause you to be impatient. Don’t obsess over that extra 10-pound weight you want to lose. While we must keep an eye on the goal, we should still look sideways because life does not stop while we work on our goals. Pause and enjoy life while you wait patiently.
Final thoughts
But if we look forward to something we don’t yet have, we must wait patiently and confidently (Romans 8:25, NLT).
Every one of us is hoping or looking forward to something we don’t yet have. And we can choose to be patient while we wait. So, how should we wait? Patiently and confidently! After all, patience is all about trust and faith in your desired outcome.
Before I leave this topic, have you ever heard of the saying, “Time and opportunity wait for no one?” In other words, time is constantly passing by, and some opportunities will come only once or a few times. Therefore we should not delay doing things. How do you reconcile this? Should we wait patiently while time and opportunities pass us by? Absolutely not! For everything, there is a season, a time to be patient, and a time to act in haste. That is my little addition to the times and seasons in Ecclesiastes 3:1-8.
Our job is to discern what season we are in and to act accordingly. So, are you in a waiting season? Can you choose to be patient? Or is this a season for you to act in haste? Whatever season you are in today, do your best and leave the rest to God!
Please feel free to leave your comments below and share this article.
Yours in health and fitness,
Doctor Abi
