Last night I completed my 12-week Success Academy with Prudential. We were discussing how to exercise patience, especially in our WFH environment. Impatience can trigger a very visceral response within the body. But impatience really comes down to resistance versus acceptance, and resistance only makes matters worse. It’s not the external circumstance that causes the stress, it’s our reaction to it that causes the problem. So how do we fix that?

Acceptance doesn’t mean we like, want, support, or endorse the thing that is causing us stress, it simply means we aren’t resisting it. Accepting what is—without resistance—gets us to a neutral place. And then we can ask some really important questions like: Do I have control of this situation? If the answer is “no,” then acceptance is critical. If the answer is “yes,” then start taking approbate action steps. Another question we can ask is, is my impatience helping or hurting the situation—again, react accordingly. And finally we can ask ourselves, what emotion or behavior would be more helpful given this situation?

Now, all of this is coming from me, the most impatient person on the planet! I have been forced to exercise patience in my business and, as a result, I am getting better at it. Here are few more tips if you, too, are feeling impatient. Breathing deeply is a powerful tool to help counter the physical reaction. Look for the silver lining. Communication is critical. And finally, welcome the situation (easier said than done) and see what is being asked of you. Perhaps you’re being asked to slow down or shift your thinking. This unexpected pause may be exactly what you need.

With Gratitude,

Beth