window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; function gtag(){dataLayer.push(arguments);} gtag('js', new Date()); gtag('config', 'G-GEQWY429QJ');

 

ENTITY wants to have patience with yourself.Photo by Marie Kim via ENTITY

Whenever I’ve been asked in a job interview what thing about myself I could work on, I always have the same answer: patience. The biggest victim of my impatience is, unfortunately, myself.

We’ve all been frustrated with ourselves, whether it’s with our skills, accomplishments, journey, development or shortcomings. Those of us who don’t have the patience for ourselves are constantly self-criticizing and disappointed.

However, I’ve thought about how best to improve and I’ve learned that if we learn to be patient with ourselves, we can draw our attention away from the negatives. We then focus on positive traits and work towards self-development. Here are three things you can tell yourself to start your journey.

Rome Was Not Built in a Day

ENTITY wants to have patience with yourself.

Photo by Marie Kim via ENTITY

One of the most important things to remember is to give yourself time.

You can’t fix all your problems overnight. Taking things one step at a time will help you run the marathon rather than the sprint, saving up your energy and going further. You can have big goals but split it up into achievable goals and do one every day. Learning to have patience with yourself will give you the confidence to tackle goals and approach them with the belief that you can achieve them.

A good way to remember this is to listen to “One Step at a Time” by Jordin Sparks. Listen closely to the lyrics, which tell us, most importantly, that “there’s no need to rush.”

Enjoy the moment

ENTITY discusses how to have patience with yourself.

Allow yourself to have fun. Many people don’t do activities they enjoy because of fear of judgment or failure. We also might hold back because an activity might not be considered productive for a career or for life in the long-run. This concern causes us to lose patience with the things we struggle with. We lose patience with ourselves because we’re holding ourselves back.

“We link our behavior, our performance, our productivity, with our self-worth,” therapist Julie de Azevedo Hanks told Psych Central. “So when we’re being less productive, we feel like we’re doing something wrong.”

Do you suck at exercising and worry that you’re slow? Go on a run anyway! Do you want to paint but worry about your skill level? You’re never going to improve if you don’t practice. Learn to do things just for fun, either for the experience or to enjoy yourself.

Throw away the misconception that we should only do things that are productive or will cause people to judge us.

Build empathy

ENTITY discusses ways to have patience with yourself

Photo via Denys Nevozhai / Unsplash

It’s more than feeling sorry for yourself. Having empathy means understanding where you’re coming from. People often empathize with other people and it’s just as important to empathize with yourself.

Many mental health professionals agree that building that skill is the key to improving your mental state.

“As clients learn to do for themselves what they would do for a friend in need, they inevitably create a renewed sense of hope for themselves, which will lead to a much needed sense of relief from their depressive mind sets,” psychologist Ugo Uche wrote in Psychology Today.

You’re not immune to the world and every human struggle. When you allow yourself breathing room, you allow yourself room to grow. With patience and understanding, you let go of the fear that you’re not doing enough or that you’re inadequate.

Send this to a friend