In my last post I described my recent campaign to slow… things… down. To nurture a more patient mindset in the way I approach life, including moving slowly and deliberately with my body (because mind and body are related like that).
Not surprisingly, it’s paid off…
One of the sweetest fruits it’s borne has been to reduce my overall frustration level. Like everyone else, I regularly find myself frustrated when ordinary tasks and movements take longer than I want them to, and think they’re supposed to. But that’s only because I’ve established an expectation in the first place that tasks should take no time at all (like unloading the dishwasher), and movements should be quick and uninterrupted (like getting out of the car). As soon as you establish this (unrealistic) expectation, you practically guarantee you’ll have moments of muttering throughout the day, because those things often take more time than we think they should.
But when you cultivate a different expectation instead (unloading the dishwasher will go better if I take my time and handle things with care; it’s going to take a few seconds to gather my stuff here in the front seat before I get out of the car; I may have to go back upstairs—again—because of something I forgot to bring down), then your frustration level decreases significantly. You assume that things will take time (even the most ordinary movements and gestures), and so you’re not left exasperated and grumbling when they do take time.
Go figure.
Admittedly, this isn’t rocket science. (It’s not even algebra.) But hey, I’m not claiming any of this is groundbreaking or complicated. I’m just claiming I’ve noticed a few things lately, and I’m grateful for them. Up goes patience, down goes blood pressure.
Clarification…
This isn’t to say that the whole of life can or should be lived slowly. Some tasks must be done quickly. Some circumstances practically demand dispatch. Some exercises are supposed to be done fast. (That’s another new habit of mine. More on that later.) And some people’s lives are such that they’ve got to scurry more than most. Perhaps nearly constantly. (See: teachers.) I get that. I’m not saying everyone should always be moving slowly and deliberately with their bodies. I’m simply saying there’s a lot to be said for introducing more patience into our day-to-day operations. Try it and tell me what you think.
And if it doesn’t make a difference right away, give it time. Patience takes patience.