If there's one thing I cannot be patient with it's people with bad manners.
Working in retail has really opened my eyes to just how rude people can be. This lack of patience often also applies to our relationships with friends and family and even class or workmates. So how do you remain calm and keep your patience in these situations??


Today I found myself with a particularly impolite and discourteous customer at work - patronising me, talking over me and just plain rude. If this encounter had been outside this work environment I would have drawn on a wide range of "methods" for expressing my "unhappiness", but I was forced to remain calm because of the setting. I decided to use the situation as an opportunity to remain calm and to implement some of our destress strategies.

Step 1. Do not head-butt said customer / person with whom you are losing your patience. Instead count to 10 before responding. Slow and regulate your breathing

Step 2. Come to an agreement/ remove the problem, or remove yourself from the situation. Any excuse will do "excuse me but I must go purchase a large gun now." Alternatively, begin a crazy conversation aloud with yourself and glaze over.
(In my case none of this was not possible as I had a 30min appointment with this woman, hence proceed to next step)

Step 3. Apply method of stress-management (i.e. reasoning with them/ zoning out to your 'happy place') in my case smiling and nodding was added to the latter. I also set myself a goal: to practice patience and turn the situation around, making the customer actually like me by the end of the appointment.
I did not respond to any of her taunts, but simply kept my patience, a soft steady voice and hurried the process as much as I could, focusing the conversation on her (which she loved).

Step 4. With a little patience, slight sucking up, distraction, and being firm and confident, the situation resolved itself! The customer forgot what she was cranky about and left very happy

Step 5. Vent. When someone mistreats you it often stays with you through the day, especially if you must remain in the workplace and continue to attend to more people without distancing yourself from the event. This is when talking it out (or even writing it down) really helps you to process the situation, through getting it off your chest. This very much helped me.

Step 6. Distraction. If you are still feeling stressed or frustrated, do something you enjoy: go for a walk (exercise releases endorphins :D ), put on your favourite dvd, read a book, catch up with friends, bake a cake! In no time you will be feeling better


Think of these experiences as a chance to practice your patience and anti-stress techniques, soon you'll be a pro


For more helpful hints follow this link:

'bluemooncandles' blog

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