Often in therapy clients get frustrated with what they perceive to be a lack of progress. I totally appreciate this feeling of impatience it is a feeling that seems to pervade our lives, especially at the moment as we await Spring and an end to a long lockdown.
I am by nature a very impatient person, when I want something I want it then and there, and mostly I can get it too. However over the last year I have learnt that good things can come to those who wait. Having been quite unwell last year I had to wait for my body to heal and was forced to wait it out patiently. The body takes its time and so does the mind.
Changing long held behaviours and patterns of thinking can take longer than we think and we have relapses that can often cause us distress. Healing is not linear and in a way teaches us to embrace the process as much as the goal.
If you are finding you aren’t progressing in your mental health as quickly as you wish, take a breath and tell yourself that patience takes courage, it takes compassion and an ability to appreciate where you are not where you aren’t. Be kind to yourself, you are growing and that takes time.