How’s your weekend going, Besties?  Looking out my window, it’s a gorgeous scene as everything has been freshly blanketed in snow.  I hope you are all staying cozy and warm, wherever you may be.
 
I wonder how many of us are struggling with patience this time of year?  Schedules and to-do lists are full, and though they may be full of good things, it’s easy to feel stressed or overwhelmed.  For me, that’s when my patience has a tendency to wear thin.  Sound familiar?

I used to think that patience was something you either had or you didn’t.  Now I know that while some of us may have a more natural inclination toward patience, it truly is something we can acquire more of with practice.

Here are some things you can try to cultivate patience with yourself, with others, and with your circumstances:

• Meditate – I cannot speak highly enough about meditation as a way to increase patience and acceptance.  Try a quiet guided meditation for 10 minutes a day every day for a week.  Notice whether or not you feel a greater sense of calm.  It’s a lot easier to be patient when you’re calm.
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• Listen to calm, soothing music – It doesn’t have to be Enya (though there’s nothing wrong with a little Enya), but just soft music that causes you to relax.  Try putting it on when you’re driving and see if it helps your patience on the road (where we can all use a little more patience!)

• Listen to nature sounds – Or better yet, actually get out in nature for a bit.  There are so many benefits to spending time outdoors, which I discussed here.
• Get some exercise – This is one thing you will hear me say over and over again.  And one thing I continually say to myself as well (because it’s so much easier said than done sometimes).  In the words of Elle Woods, “Exercise gives you endorphins.  Endorphins make you happy.  Happy people just don’t kill their husbands.  They just don’t.”  Happy people also tend to have more patience