5 . The quality of patience goes a long way toward your goal of creating a more peaceful and loving self. The more patient you are, the more accepting you will be of what life is, rather than insisting that life be exactly as you would like it to be. Without patience, life is extremely frustrating.     1     Patience adds some ease and acceptance to your life. It’s important for inner peace.

    2     If you are stuck in a traffic jam, late for an appointment, being patient would mean keeping yourself from building a mental snowball before your thinking gets out of hand and gently reminding yourself to relax. It might also be a good time to breathe as well as an opportunity to remind yourself that, in the bigger scheme of things, being late is “small stuff”.

Patience is a quality of heart that can be greatly enhanced with deliberate practice.    3     They are the periods of time that I set up in my mind to practise the art of patience. Life itself becomes a classroom, and the curriculum is patience. You can start with as little as five minutes and build up your capacity for patience over time. What you’ll discover is truly amazing. Your intention to be patient, especially if you know it’s only for a short while, immediately strengthens your capacity for patience. Patience is one of those qualities where success feeds on itself. Once you reach little milestone—five minutes of successful patience—you’ll begin to see that you do indeed have the capacity to be patient, even for longer periods of time. Over time, you may even become a patient person.

Being patient will help you to keep your perspective. You will see even a difficult situation, say your present challenge, isn’t “life or death” but simply a minor obstacle that must be dealt with.     4    

Stressful situations are sometimes unavoidable. Each of us perceives challenges in our own way and reaction to them also varies. How stressful our life is depends not only on us. Other people influence it as well. And this is something we cannot change.

What if we do not try to change others, but rather try and change our attitude to stress and tension that we often experience at work?

Stretching releases muscle tension that accumulates in your back, shoulders, and neck during the day. Even when your day is extremely busy, do your best and set aside at least 5-10 minutes to do some exercise. There are plenty of exercises you can practise that do not require any special equipment: yoga, or simple squats — you can pick any kind of workout to your liking. Physical activity will boost your energy level and help you calm down. Working out is beneficial for both your body and mind.

Herbs work miracles. Some of them, such as chamomile and peppermint, are a powerful tool helping to fight stress and anxiety. NASA scientists have recently carried out research into the effect of herbs and found out that peppermint scent decreases tiredness by 20% and reduces frustration by 25%, Make a smarter choice and, while at work, drink herbal tea instead of coffee.

Once you find yourself in a different surroundings you will feel much better. If your office is situated in a busy city center, then you can spend your lunch break m a sidewalk cafe. Order your favorite drink and distract yourself by watching people go by. If your office is located in an environmentally clean place, for example, near a city park. You can then refresh yourself and relax a bit before you dive back into your working routine.

Call someone who you know can understand and support you when you feel stressed. A study shows that communication with close people, such as your friends or parents, produces oxytocin in your body — the hormone that is needed to successfully fight tension and stress.