Patience...

We rarely notice behavioral changes in ourselves unless someone points them out. One reason is that we often don’t pay enough attention to ourselves.

We tend to robotize and normalize our daily actions, and before we know it, we may be dealing with a serious problem or addiction, and so on.

One trait I used to lack was patience, whether with myself, my family, in traffic, or in line at the grocery store. As I said, “used to”, not anymore.

My lack of patience used to come with symptoms like anxiety, anger, impulsiveness, and a sense of urgency. These signs should have been easy to notice, but for me, they gradually went unnoticed. It wasn’t until people close to me - and I’m grateful to them for their patience - started pointing out every episode where I overreacted because of this issue.

It’s embarrassing to be called out for such foolishness. If you’ve been through this, as I have, don’t overreact. Surely this person wants the best for you, even if it doesn’t seem that way at the moment.

Breaking this cycle is not easy and requires understanding what triggers this behavior. Stress-inducing triggers are often related to the environment (home, work, transportation...), to someone, to our financial situation, the political situation in our country, and so on.

In my case, I already recognized that I had a problem and wanted to make a change, so it was time for me to see what I could do to break this bad cycle. One of the exercises I’ve been practicing is mindfulness through breathing. Essentially, when we focus on our breath, our awareness of our body increases; we feel more relaxed (with improved circulation), which leads to better decision-making.

I can already see improvements because everything gets better when we are less stressed.