Do you ever feel like you just can’t wait for something? Whether it’s waiting in line at the grocery store or feeling anxious about an upcoming event, impatience is a feeling we’ve all experienced at one time or another.

But why do we feel this way? And is there anything we can do to manage our impatience? In this article, we’ll explore the psychology behind feeling impatient and offer some tips for how to deal with it. So next time you’re feeling antsy, read on to find out what you can do to calm your nerves.

Impatience Defined

Feeling impatient is feeling frustrated or irritable because someone or something is taking too long. It can manifest itself in a person tapping their foot, huffing, or feeling restless.

Impatience is often uncomfortable because it’s associated with feeling out of control.

When we feel impatient, we want the person or situation to hurry up and change so that we can feel better. However, trying to rush things rarely works out well. In fact, feeling impatient can actually make things take longer.

That’s because when we’re feeling impatient, we’re not as focused or present as we could be. We’re more likely to make mistakes, which can then lead to further delays. So next time you find yourself feeling impatient, try to take a step back and breathe.

Remind yourself that rushing rarely leads to good results. And who knows? The thing you’re waiting for might even turn out to be worth the wait.

Causes Of Impatience: All The Possible Reasons

Feeling impatient can have many different causes. It could be something as simple as feeling hungry or being in a hurry. Maybe you’re feeling overwhelmed or stressed out. Or, you could be dealing with a more serious issue like anxiety or depression. Here are some of the most common causes of feeling impatient:

• Feeling hungry: When our blood sugar drops, we can start to feel impatient and irritable. That’s why it’s important to eat regular meals and snacks throughout the day.
• Being in a hurry: If we’re trying to do too much in too little time, it’s only natural that we’ll start to feel impatient. That’s why it’s important to manage our time wisely and learn to say “no” when needed.
• Feeling overwhelmed: When we’re feeling bogged down by a never-ending to-do list, it’s tough to not feel impatient. To help deal with this, it’s important to take a step back and assess what’s really important. Then, delegate or eliminate anything that isn’t absolutely necessary.
• Stress: Stress can cause us to feel impatient because it raises our levels of the hormone cortisol. To help reduce stress, try exercise, meditation, or deep breathing exercises.
• Anxiety: Anxiety can cause us to feel on edge and unable to relax. If you’re feeling anxious, try talking to a therapist or counselor who can help you develop coping mechanisms.
• Depression: Depression can make us feel hopeless and helpless, two emotions that can lead to feeling impatient. If you’re struggling with depression, it’s important to seek professional help so you can get the treatment you need.

Some of the external reasons for feeling impatient may include:

• Traffic congestion or delays
• Long lines or waits
• Rudeness or inconsideration from others
• Unfavorable conditions or weather
• Noise or distractions
• Crowding or claustrophobia
• Hunger or thirst
• Fatigue or boredom
• Annoying or difficult tasks
• Unexpected events or changes
• Illness or injury
• Stress or anxiety           

The Negative Effects Of Impatience 

However, there are some negative effects that come along with feeling impatient. When we feel impatient, we may:

• Frustration, anger, and irritability. 
• Impaired judgment and decision-making. 
• Reduced productivity and efficiency. 
• Increased stress. 
• Lower overall satisfaction with life. 
• More health problems. 
• Greater likelihood of accidents. 
• Poor social relationships. 
• Depression and anxiety. 
• Suicidal thoughts. 
• Rudeness, anger, and hostility.
• Inability to concentrate.
• Lack of cooperation. 
• Reduced productivity. 

While feeling impatient from time to time is perfectly normal, it’s important to be aware of the negative effects that come along with it. If we can find ways to manage our impatience, we may be able to improve our overall mood and productivity levels.

Things To Keep In Mind When Feeling Impatient

Feeling impatient is inevitable in daily lives. Every single one of us has experienced feeling impatient at some point of time. The question is how we can better deal with feeling impatient instead of lashing out? Here are are a few things to keep in mind the next time you find yourself feeling impatient: 

1. Success Takes Time

When feeling impatient, keep in mind that success takes time. It’s easy to get impatient when we’re working hard and not seeing the results we want right away. But it’s important to remember that success is a process, and it usually takes time to achieve. Here are a few things to keep in mind when feeling impatient: 

• Be persistent: keep working hard and don’t give up. 
• Set realistic goals: if your goals are too ambitious, you’re more likely to get discouraged. 
• Celebrate small victories: instead of fixating on the end goal, take the time to celebrate each small step you make along the way. 

Remember, success takes time. So be patient, stay focused, and keep working towards your goals.

2. Life Is Happening Right Now

If you’re feeling impatient, it can help to keep in mind that life is happening now. That might seem like a pretty obvious statement, but it’s easy to forget when we’re feeling anxious or stressed. When we’re feeling impatient, we often focus on what we’re waiting for – whether it’s a promotion, or something else entirely new.

But the truth is that life is happening right now, at this very moment.

And if we’re not careful, we can miss out on all the good stuff that’s happening while we’re waiting for something better. This moment is all we have and if we spend our time feeling impatient, we’re missing out on all the good that’s happening right now. 

3. Everything Can’t Be In Your Control

When feeling impatient, it can be helpful to keep in mind that there are few things that are not in our control. This can help us to focus on the things that we can control, and take action where we can make a difference.

For example, we might not be able to control the traffic, but we can control how we react to it. We might not be able to control the weather, but we can control how we dress for it.

By taking a moment to remind ourselves of what is and isn’t in our control, we can help to ease our feelings of impatience.

4. Rushing Things Isn’t Always Worth It

There are many thing worth being patient for. When feeling impatient remember that taking your time and doing things well is more important than rushing and making mistakes.

Rushing never leads to good things. If there is something worth doing, than its worth taking your time to do it right. Good things come to those who wait patiently.

Impatience will only ruin your day, so take a deep breath and relax. Everything happens in due time.

5. Work With Solid Plan

Let’s face it, we’ve all been there before. We’re feeling impatient and just want to rush ahead and get things done. But sometimes, that’s not the best approach. Rather than rushing things, it can help to take a step back, assess the situation, and come up with a solid plan.

By taking the time to create a well-thought-out plan, you’ll be more likely to achieve your goals in a timely and efficient manner. So next time you’re feeling impatient, resist the urge to rush ahead, and take a moment to develop a plan of action.

You may be surprised at how well it works out in the end.

6. With Patience Success Is Guaranteed 

It’s important to remember that patience is a virtue for a reason. When you’re feeling impatient, keep in mind that success is more likely to come to those who are patient. Patience allows you to stay focused and maintain your composure when things aren’t going your way.

It also shows others that you’re confident and in control of yourself and your emotions.

Being patient doesn’t mean that things will always happen immediately – sometimes you need to wait for the right moment or opportunity. But if you’re patient and persistent, eventually things will fall into place and you’ll achieve your goal.

How to deal with impatience: 13 Easy Ways

We’ve all been there before – feeling impatient, whether we’re stuck in traffic or waiting in line at the grocery store. It’s an unpleasant feeling, but there are some things we can do to help manage your impatience. Here are 13 tips to deal with feeling impatient:

1. Acknowledge Impatience 

Feeling impatient is a very discomforting and irritating feeling. It’s an unpleasant feeling, but acknowledging it can actually help you to deal with it. Here’s how:

• Recognizing that you’re feeling impatient can help you to take a step back and assess the situation. Is this something that’s really worth getting upset about? Sometimes, when you’re feeling impatient, it’s because you’re actually anxious or stressed about something else. Recognizing this can help you to address the underlying issue.
• Acknowledging your impatience can also help you to be more patient in future. If we’re aware of your tendency to feel impatient, you can be more mindful of it in future situations. This self-awareness can help you to catch ourselves before you get too worked up, and hopefully prevent the feeling from spiraling out of control.

2. Pay Attention To Your Body

When you feel impatient, it’s important to pay attention to your body. Your muscles tense up when you’re feeling impatient, so it’s important to relax and soothe your muscles. One way to do this is to take a few deep breaths.

Breathing deeply helps to relax your muscles and allows you to focus on the present moment. It can also help to close your eyes and focus on the feeling of your breath moving in and out of your body. By paying attention to your body, we can help to reduce the feeling of impatience.

3. Practice Deep Breathing And Relax Yourself

When you feel impatient, it’s usually because you’re feeling stressed or overwhelmed. Your heart rate goes up, our muscles tense up, and you start to feel like you’re running out of time. Deep breathing can help you to deal with feeling impatient by calming your nervous system and helping you to focus. Here’s how to do it:

• Sit or stand in a comfortable position.
• Place one hand on your chest and the other on your stomach.
• Breathe in through your nose, letting your stomach expand.
• Breathe out through your mouth, letting your stomach fall back in.
• Repeat for 10 breaths.

Deep breathing helps you to feel more relaxed and in control. It can also help to increase your energy levels and improve your concentration. So next time you’re feeling impatient, take a few minutes to breathe deeply and let go of that stress.

4. Focus On Big Picture

One way to deal with feeling impatient is to focus on the big picture. By keeping our goal in mind, you can remind yourself that the current situation is only temporary and that ultimately, you’ll get where you want to be.

When you zoom out and take a bird’s eye view of our situation, you can often see that what you’re dealing with is just a small blip in the grand scheme of things. And when you remind ourselves of that, it can help you to feel more patient. 

Additionally, focusing on the big picture can help you to put things into perspective and see that the current inconvenience is not as significant as it might seem. 

5. Distract Yourself In A Health Way

When you’re feeling impatient, it can be helpful to distract yourself in a healthy way. This can help you to take our mind off of whatever is causing you to feel impatient and allow you to relax. Some healthy ways to distract yourself include: 

• Go for a walk: Getting some fresh air and moving your body can help to improve your mood and energy levels. 
• Listen to music: Putting on your favorite tunes can help to take your mind off of whatever is causing you to feel impatient. 
• Call a friend: Chatting with someone you care about can help you to feel more connected and supported. 
• Write it down: Sometimes, simply putting your thoughts and feelings into words can help to provide some relief. 
• Do something creative: Expressing yourself through art, writing, or another creative outlet can help you to feel more empowered and in control. 

If you’re feeling impatient, try one of these healthy distractions and see if it helps!

6. Working On Reframing Your Thoughts 

If you find yourself feeling impatient more often than you’d like, it might be helpful to try reframing your thoughts. One way to reframe your thoughts is to think about what you’re feeling impatient about.

For example, if you’re feeling impatient about being stuck in traffic, think about how this time can be used for listening to music, thinking about your day, or simply taking a few deep breaths.

This time doesn’t have to be wasted; it can be used for reflection and relaxation. 

Another way to deal with feeling impatient is to plan ahead. If you know you’re going to be dealing with a lot of impatience-inducing situations, try to give yourself some extra time.

For example, if you know you’re going to be stuck in traffic, plan to leave earlier than usual so that you don’t get frustrated. This extra time can also be used for relaxation and reflection. 

Finally, try to remember that feeling impatient is normal and that everyone deals with it at some point or another. It doesn’t mean there’s something wrong with you; it just means that you’re human! Be patient with yourself and know that these feeling will eventually pass.

7. Turn Impatience Into Patience 

When you’re feeling impatient, it can seem like the only way to make the feeling go away is to give in to it. But that’s not necessarily true. There are actually a lot of benefits to turning your impatience into patience.

For one thing, it can help you to better manage your time and resources. When you’re feeling impatient, it’s easy to want to rush through tasks or take shortcuts. But if you can learn to be patient, you’ll likely find that you can get more done in less time and with fewer resources.

Additionally, patience can lead to greater creativity and problem-solving skills.

Patience allows you to explore all the possibilities before making a decision, which can lead to more innovative solutions. Finally, patience can improve your mental and physical health. Studies have shown that people who are patient tend to be less stressed and more resilient in the face of adversity.

So next time you’re feeling impatient, remember that there are actually many good reasons to turn that feeling into patience.

8. Slow Things Down

When you’re feeling impatient, it can be helpful to slow down and take a few deep breaths. This can help you to feel more in control and less frazzled. It’s also a good idea to try to focus on the present moment instead of dwelling on what’s going wrong or feeling angry about the past.

If you can, take a few minutes to do something calming, like reading or listening to music. And if you’re feeling really impatient, it might be helpful to remind yourself that everyone feels this way sometimes and that it’s not a big deal.

Just take a deep breath and relax. Everything will be alright.

9. Practice Delaying Things For Good

In today’s fast-paced world, it’s easy to rush things and end up feeling impatient if things don’t happen quickly. That’s why intentionally delaying things sometimes can help you feel less impatient.

Practicing delaying things can help you deal with feeling impatient in several ways. First, it can help you to appreciate the things you have more. When you’re used to getting things right away, you often take them for granted.

But when you have to wait for something, you start to appreciate it more when you finally get it. 

Second, delaying things can help you to develop patience and tolerance. The more you practice delayed gratification, the better you become at handling frustration and disappointment. And lastly, delaying things can help you to focus on the present moment and enjoy the process instead of rushing through it just to get to the end result.

Here are a few ways you can practice delaying things:

• Practice taking your time when you eat. even if you’re eating alone, take the time to savor your food and chew slowly.
• Put off checking your phone or email for 5-10 minutes after you wake up in the morning. take that time to enjoy a cup of coffee or tea first.
• Intentionally choose one task per day that you will do mindfully and without rushing. it could be something as simple as taking a shower or brushing your teeth.

Next time you’re feeling impatient, try intentionally delaying something and see how it makes you feel. You might be surprised at how much it helps!

10. Stay Miles Away From Overthinking

Overthinking things can make you feel impatient because it takes away your ability to focus on what’s important. When you’re overthinking, you’re constantly thinking about all the possibilities and outcomes of a situation, which can make it hard to focus on the task at hand.

As a result, you may feel like you’re not making progress, which can lead to feeling impatient. Additionally, overthinking can also lead to feeling anxious or stressed, which can further exacerbate feelings of impatience.

If you find yourself feeling impatient, it may be helpful to take a step back and focus on the present moment. Breathe deeply and try to clear your mind of all thoughts. Focus on your breath and the sensations in your body.

Ground yourself in the present moment and let go of any thoughts about the future. This can help you to find calm and peace amidst feeling impatient.

11. Be Mindful

Mindfulness is about being present in the moment and accepting our thoughts and feelings without judgment. When we’re feeling impatient, mindfulness can help us to slow down and think about what we’re feeling. We can ask ourselves why we’re feeling this way, and what we can do to deal with it.

This can help us to feel more in control and less stressed.

Of course, mindfulness isn’t the only thing that can help us when we’re feeling impatient. Sometimes just taking a few deep breaths or taking a break from whatever we’re doing can make a big difference.

But it’s definitely worth giving mindfulness a try next time you’re feeling frustrated – you might be surprised at how helpful it can be!

12. Avoid Being Around People Who Cause Impatience

Have you ever been around someone who’s constantly tapping their foot or drumming their fingers? Maybe they can’t sit still for more than a few minutes, or maybe they’re always interrupting people when they’re talking.

Whatever the case may be, being around someone who’s impatient can be frustrating. And if we’re not careful, we can start to rub off on them and feel impatient ourselves.

One way to avoid feeling impatient is to avoid being around people who are constantly in a hurry. If we’re constantly surrounded by people who are running late or rushing to get things done, it can start to wear on us and make us feel like we need to hurry up and do things as well.

Instead, spend time with people who are patient and calm, and who can help you to see the situation in a different light. Maybe they can help you to understand why the person you’re feeling impatient with is acting the way they are, or help you to come up with a better way to deal with the situation.

Sometimes, just having someone to vent to can help you to feel better and more patient.

13. Stay Positive And Optimistic

Whatever the cause, feeling impatient can be frustrating and overwhelming. But there are ways to deal with feeling impatient that can help you to stay positive and optimistic.

Here are three tips:

1. Recognize that feeling impatient is normal. Everyone feels this way sometimes, so you’re not alone. Just take a deep breath and remind yourself that this feeling will pass.
2. Try to focus on the positive. Instead of fixating on what’s making you impatient, try to focus on the good things in your life. This can help you to put things into perspective and remember that the current situation is not permanent.
3. Take some time for yourself. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, sometimes it helps to take a break from whatever is causing you stress. Even just a few minutes to yourself can help you to reset and calm down. Then you can approach the situation with fresh eyes and maybe even find a solution.

Remember, next time you’re feeling impatient, that it’s normal and there are ways to deal with it so that you can stay positive and optimistic!

Conclusion 

So there you have it – a few tips on how to deal with feeling impatient. Next time you find yourself feeling impatient, try one of these techniques and see how it goes. And remember, patience is a virtue!

References

Lipman, S. A., & Attema, A. E. (2020). Good things come to those who wait—Decreasing impatience for health gains and losses. PLOS ONE, 15(3), e0229784. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0229784

Matyszczyk, C. (2019, September 20). Technology is making us more impatient, says study. ZDNET. https://www.zdnet.com/article/technology-is-making-us-more-impatient-says-study/

Recently published OHIO study reveals humans are impatient, even down to seconds. (n.d.). OHIO News. https://www.ohio.edu/news/2020/07/recently-published-ohio-study-reveals-humans-are-impatient-even-down-seconds