Learning the virtue of patience

St. Augustine described patience as “the companion of wisdom.” With plenty of good news about vaccines, yet no end to lockdown in sight, we need it more than ever.

Patience isn't just a moral virtue. It's associated with increased life satisfaction, self-esteem and self-control; better emotional regulation; and an increased ability to pursue and achieve goals, according to Sarah Schnitker at Fuller Theological Seminary in California, who defines patience as “the propensity to wait calmly in the face of frustration or adversity.”

Patient people are more conscientious, agreeable and open to new experiences; and they're less likely to suffer low mood and anxiety. Ayse Bulbul and Coskun Arslan at Necmettin Erbakan University in Turkey surveyed more than 1,000 adults and found patience was also associated with higher levels of self-compassion and self-determination.

Impatience, on the other hand, is associated not only with a lack of self-control, but an inability to deal with stress effectively. According to Schnitker, when we're tired, hungry, unwell, overheated, and/or stressed, it's harder to exercise patience.

Mindset and behaviour matter, too. Ryan Thomas and Schnitker asked 259 undergraduates to identify 10 projects they intended to pursue over the next 10 weeks. Participants chose goals such as “eat healthily,” “get good grades” and “be a better friend.” They showed greater patience when working toward goals that were personally meaningful and that required greater effort. How might these findings help you?

1. Set yourself challenging personal goals. Work toward at least one of them every day.

2. Practise patience-strengthening behaviours. Schnitker and Thomas Felke found participants asked to practise using their non-dominant hand for everyday tasks such as brushing teeth, and those instructed to record the events of each day, showed greater self-control after one week.

3. Learn to wait before making non-essential purchases.

4. Prioritize good sleep hygiene, and eat regularly and healthily.

5. Open yourself to new experiences, behave conscientiously, and treat others with warmth and empathy.