7 Daily Habits to Strengthen Your Patience

Women have a lot on their plates. Our responsibilities are broad and can sometimes feel like a burden if not managed correctly. Without proper care, small problems can overburden us and bring out our impatience and frustration. It’s important to find ways to manage our body, soul, and mind to meet life’s demands with grace.

Jesus himself must have felt impatient with the disciples who didn’t understand Him and waited for His plans to be fulfilled, yet He never sinned.

He developed many habits of prayer, outdoor activities, rest, and feasting to keep His life balanced.

Let’s learn from Christ’s example as we seek patience in our own lives.

1. Affirm your priorities.

Each morning before you begin your day, remind yourself what matters most to you in life. It probably is people over accomplishments and relationships over efficiency. Write your priorities down and read them each morning. Refer to these priorities throughout the day if necessary. You can even end your day by reviewing them. You may need to begin by considering your priorities and developing a written explanation for yourself.

2. Recite your philosophy.

Create a phrase or use one from scripture that you can recite in moments of stress or impatience. Keep it simple yet impactful so it won’t add more frustration to the situation. Something as easy as “Love is patient” (1 Corinthians 13:4-5 NIV) can be an effective antidote to impatience. Or simply make up a phrase that speaks to you, such as, “I’m not in a hurry.”

3. Practice pausing.

If you feel yourself becoming impatient, pause. Freeze your body and mind. Use breathing techniques, stretch, fix your gaze on something in the distance, sit down and close your eyes, or even step outside. Remove yourself mentally and physically for a moment. Even if you aren’t feeling impatient, this is a good habit to practice throughout the day to teach your body to relax.

4. Be slow.

Find ways to train yourself in patience, such as thanking God for interruptions, purposefully walking slowly, or focusing on someone’s face and voice when they are speaking to you. John Mark Comer even recommends getting in the longer grocery line to train yourself not to hurry and to grow your patience muscles. Look for situations that tend to cause stress or frustration and consider how you can grow your patience in that area, much like someone would train themselves to hold their breath underwater.

5. Write it out.

Keep a notebook handy, and in moments of frustration, write out your unfiltered thoughts and feelings. Or, if technology is more your jam, voice recording your venting. End each session with a prayer, offering these feelings to God and asking the Holy Spirit to take over. It is key to release frustration in order to replace it with peace. Remember Jesus is the “prince of peace,” so give your impatience to Him.

6. Stay healthy.

Remember to drink water, lemon water, adrenal cocktails, electrolytes, or other healthy beverages to keep you hydrated and energized throughout the day. Keep your protein intake high and get out into the fresh air and light a few times. Your physical health often impacts your mental health. Daily physical care will improve your capacity for handling stress.

7. Move.

Tension can build up in our bodies until we are a coiled spring. Stretch, walk, wiggle, jump, or do whatever it takes to prevent kinks and tension from building up. A loose physical body can create a calmer spirit. Find ways to weave productive movement into your day. If you feel tension building, acknowledge it and address it before it takes over.

Remember that these habits are not laws or additional burdens that increase frustration. Rather, they are tools to be used as needed in your life. Try implementing one at a time and see if it helps. Once you have absorbed the habit into your daily rhythm, add another and see how that goes. The goal is patience, not accomplishment.

Thankfully, God is patient with us. Habits take time to develop. Start small and ask God to help you change. He gives His Spirit for just this reason: to supply us with His power. Be grateful for the gift and use it.