All We Need is Patience.

Patience is not an innate virtue, it is a skill. It is often said that your patience is tested in the face of trying and difficult circumstances, when what should provoke you leaves you unfettered. On another level, patience is not waiting for something to happen, as many people confuse it with. That is plain laziness. But when you wait for things worth waiting for, alas, patience comes to you naturally. Saint Augustine considered the virtue a companion of wisdom. Since the toxins like anger and frustration have become a major part of our life in this age, owing to the stressful office schedules and strained personal relationships, qualities like peace and calm are never easy to come by. If you develop the skill of being patient towards people and situations, not only you are helping yourself grow personally but professionally too.

The curiosity to know everything, the rashness in decision-making, the haste of getting the work done/doing your work, the disappointment of a hard life, the non-acceptance of reality, the inability to express your feelings out loud, not letting go, and so on, are everyday ideas pushing you towards impatience. Sometimes simply accepting the things as they really are can instil a lot of patience in you, so you experience greater joy and calm, but it’d be helpful to know some areas to help us to improve:

Blabber or Write-it-out: Talking to your friends and family, or writing down things on a paper will help you get a perspective on things, enabling you to chalk out the unwanted creases. It will also serve as an important tool for personal growth.

Thing Big: Thing big in the sense you should see the dynamics of an unpleasant situation. Every one of those will have something in it to take the learning from. Learn the lesson and see what the greater design of things has to offer instead of cribbing over them.

Pretence: Can’t you just pretend that the things that have left you bothered don’t actually bother you so much? Yes, you can act it out for a little while. The initial moments are the toughest and once they pass, you can be your real self.

You’re not God: And you don’t and shouldn’t have all the answers to all the problems and unpleasantness in your life. Let things be unresolved, let them be as they are, accept them as is and move on. Remember, it is the questions that matter and not their solutions. Think over it and let go!

Let’s all practice patience until you, with a smile and glint in your eye, bid farewell to the next frustrating moment. Patience is indeed a virtue and it gets us all by.

All Work and No Play.

We go clueless if we have to talk about work and play in the same breath. The off-days are either spent resting or with friends and family, hanging out or in the comforts of one’s home. Playing or any amount of physical activities is often thought of as tiresome, fatigue-inducing and unachievable. In their mid-twenties, when people start earning and going to office, a trend of discontinuing and negating all physical exercise from their routine starts cultivating, albeit rather compulsively.

Experts have said that the secret to great work is great play, and that the latter boosts creativity. It’s an important part of anyone’s life to nurture happiness and the lack of it often results in depression and anxiety. There comes a time in everybody’s life when they realise the importance of balancing their work and their play. No matter what you have taken into, going out, breathing fresh air and spending an hour at play is extremely important. Let’s see how making time for both work and play in the lives of today’s generation too busy can be helpful:

The Three R’s: Rest, Recreation and Relaxation – these three words alone can shape up your leisure life. When prioritising your tasks, allot time to these three activities and think of how you’d be working towards them. The three R’s will be responsible in restoring positivity, getting balance and helping refresh your lives.

Connect, Share, Learn: When in office, start a weekend play session at a place convenient to everyone and encourage everyone to join in. Choose a game, follow up, get together and play. The people who you are spending maximum hours of the day with are the best people you can share joy, happiness and fun with.

Keeps Emotions in Check: One of the better advantages of playing is that it puts you in a challenging situation and leaves you wondering, often thinking on your feet, about how to get out of it. People learn how to handle emotions like fear, anger, resentment, negativity. You might not realise the importance of that while you are playing, but it will certainly reflect at the time of decision-making during emotion-provoking situations. It will come naturally to you. So, make it a daily practice and consider it as important as your work.

Many A Option: It is not just physical activity or exercise that constitute “play”. It is much more. It can be dancing, aerobics, gymnastics, playing any sport, running, cycling, playing indoors at work, gym-work-out, etc. Anything that can improve your social skills, make you happy, teach you perseverance, foster creativity and learning, teach you the joy of watching others play, etc. So, find one such activity and start playing today.

Now that you have gone through the significance of a balanced life, let us know what you think about it in the comments section.

Quit Rage.

Anger is a natural emotion. Everyone gets angry on occasion but the need of the hour is to manage anger. Anger can take many forms including irritation, self-botheration, explosion-like and avoidance. Rage controls you, which is why they say that you have lost your temper. When anger gets uncontrolled, it becomes rage. Busy lifestyles, tight deadlines at work, familial and peer pressure to outperform competitors, the rush to become a success and lack of patience are some of the many subtle reasons causing stress, anxiety and depression, ultimately leading to rage.

Let us explore ways in which you can quit your rage:

Breathe it Out: Let go of rage by simply counting your breaths. Breathe deeply and not from your chest. Many experts suggest that neurological rage response does not last for more than a few seconds. Like the legend goes, count till 10 when raging and see if your flared nostrils have subsided. Slowly repeat the words or phrases that can relax you, such as “take it easy,” “relax”, and the like.

Own your Feeling and Communicate: When angry with someone, first confess to yourself the reason and own it up in front of the other person, instead of flying into a rage and making a menace of yourself. Rage is known to get you overly exaggerated and dramatic. If you say things like, “I am upset with your behaviour,” or “I was not expecting this out of you,” and talking in a calm manner about what has upset you, it can keep the situation from becoming volatile.

Exercise: When you exercise, a lot of pent up energy exits from your body. And a composed mind is better equipped in handling issues of anger than anything else. Go for a walk in the park and try to divert your attention to the beauty around you. Return when you feel calm. You can also try changing your environment. Change your surroundings. Take a break from anything that is causing you anxiety. Be at peace and have some personal time. You can also visualise yourself in your favourite place doing things that you love the most.

Always remember, anger is not necessarily a bad thing when used as a constructive response to a threat. But one should work on anger before it becomes an uncontrollable rage, understand it and take steps to change the situation. Redirect your anger in a positive way. Anger is a healthy emotion if expressed appropriately. As they say, decision taken in a rage, while having lost your temper, is a decision you are sure to regret.

Quit Rage. Manage Your Anger to Achieve More.