I’ve written before about how a coping mechanism I’ve learned is to just put off trying to solve my bad moods until the next day. By the morning my mood has improved considerably and I’ve regained my perspective.
I think that works for a lot of things. It’s somewhat against human nature, but sometimes the best thing we can do is to be patient and wait. Perspectives can change with a little time and/or distance from the problem. New insights or new resources can come. The problem itself can change.
This was reinforced again for me today when I went to start revising a short story I’ve been working on. A month ago when I finished it I thought it was nearly ready for submission. Today I read through it and found a whole bunch of possibilities for improvement. Not that it’s bad. It just could be better, and I’m excited to note that I can see what needs to be done.
Of course waiting too long isn’t good, either. I suppose after I finish this round of revisions I could sit on it another month again, revise it again, sit on it another month, etc. Technically if I do that long enough the story could become perfect, right? Probably not, and since this story was written with the intent to submit it, I do need to send it out sooner or later. Waiting too long won’t help me much.
But in general, most problems look better with a new perspective, a little rest, or some distance. Learning to be patient is hard, but it can make a difference.
I totally agree. When I get frustrated with something, walking away from it for a while calms me down and I can tackle the problem again with a fresh mind. The problem is remembering to walk away because I want the problem resolved now.
I hear you there. So I guess what I’d advocating is “learn to be patient so you can learn to be patient.” 😉 But yes, some times I’m more successful than others at recognizing the need to put some distance between myself and the problem. And sometimes the circumstance is such that I can’t just walk away from the situation, which is even harder. The trick I’m trying to learn there is that it’s okay (and probably welcomed by everyone) to step back just a little bit, take a deep breath, acknowledge that the situation is out of hand, and try to reset. I’ve not made much progress there yet.