Chew Your Food Slowly　　细嚼慢咽

People who consume food more slowly—and ignore those “I’m hungry” urges—eat less overall than those who devour their meals. Research has found that impatient people are more likely to be overweight, possibly because of their inability to delay gratification at the dinner table. This practice can help you in other areas of life as well: By eating slowly, you can train yourself to be less impulsive and more patient in general.

那些细嚼慢咽且不理会“我饿了”欲望的人总体上比那些狼吞虎咽的人吃得少。研究发现不耐烦的人更容易超重，可能是因为他们在餐桌上无法延长满足。这一练习也可以在生活的其它领域帮到你：通过慢慢吃，大体上你可以训练自己少些冲动多些耐心。

Experience Different Cultures　　体验不同文化

When you travel the world, you find out that many cultures aren’t as punctual and perfectionistic as ours, and encountering those perspectives can mellow you. To work on your patience closer to home, try visiting an area populated by people of a different culture (such as a city’s Chinatown) or take part in a festival held by an immigrant community.

当你周游世界时，你会发现很多文化不像我们的文化那样守时和完美主义，遭遇这些观念可以使你成熟。要在离家更近的地方磨练你的耐心，就去尝试探访居住着不同文化人群的地区 (如一个城市中的唐人街)或参加移民社区举办的节日。

Laugh at Yourself　自嘲

I’m a newspaper columnist and my husband is a politician, so both of us must be willing to converse with strangers when we’re eating out or shopping for groceries. In the rare moments when people are obnoxious (like the time a woman told me that I needed to get Botox), I can get impatient. But instead of being rude to the person, I formulate a joke, usually at my own expense.

我是一名报纸的专栏作家，我的丈夫是一名政治家，所以当我们外出吃饭或买杂货时，我们俩必须愿意与陌生人交谈。在人们令人讨厌的那样为数不多的时候(就像有次一个女人告诉我需要去打肉毒杆菌)，我可以不耐烦。但是除了粗鲁对人，我会编一个笑话，通常是自嘲。

Find a Distraction　找到分心之处

Being out on the road for weeks on end can certainly test your patience. My wife and I—we drive as a team—have to deal with other drivers and the annoyances of traffic jams, and it’s natural to be anxious in these moments. We overcome that feeling by giving each other something else to think about. For example, my wife tells jokes and catches me up on the latest Facebook posts from friends. Or I’ll talk to my dogs (they also travel with us). Those quick moments of distraction recharge me, and I can again focus on the road without being irritated.

在路上连续几周最终一定可以测试你的耐心。我和妻子——我们作为一个团队来开车，不得不与应对其他司机和恼人的交通堵塞，这种时候很自然会焦躁。我们通过让彼此思考其它一些东西来摆脱这种感觉。例如我的妻子会讲笑话，在脸谱网上朋友最新的帖子上了解我的近况。或者我会和我的狗说话(他们也和我们一起旅行)。那些分心的短暂时刻让我得到休整，我可以不发火地再次集中到路上。

Stop Imagining the Ideal　停止往好处想

I often grow impatient when I want to be in control of a situation. To avoid getting antsy when I am writing and can’t find specific words for my thoughts, I try to practice self-compassion. I tell myself that I’m not going to quit even if I become frustrated. I’ll say out loud, “You’re not perfect, but that’s OK. Writing can be a messy process, and it’s not ideal, but you can handle it.” Talking to yourself may feel awkward and goofy, but it quells that feeling of impatience.

当我想控制局面时我经常失去耐心。为了避免写作时文思短路的坐立不安，我尝试去实践自我同情。我告诉自己即使受挫我也不会放弃。我会大声说，“你不是完美的，但没关系。写作可以是一个混乱的过程，它不是理想的，但你可以应对它。”与你自己交谈可能会感到尴尬和愚蠢，但它能减轻不耐烦的感觉。