Staying In Control and Winning the Waiting Game

November 5, 2019
by Catherine

Life Hacks

I have never been good at waiting.  Waiting in line at a grocery store, no thank you (thank goodness for self-checkout).  Waiting for standard shipping, grueling.  Waiting for my test scores or that acceptance letter, I cannot even.  Unfortunately, life is not all 2-day shipping, and express checkout lanes, and at some point or another we will find ourselves playing the waiting game.  So how do you handle the stress of waiting, and cope with not knowing the immediate next step?  Here are some ways I stay in control, and win in these stressful pockets of time.

• Treat yourself.  Congratulations!  Whatever it is you are waiting for, an application, finishing a test, or just getting that elective request form in, you did it.  You have made a tangible step towards your goal, and that in itself is an accomplishment.  Give yourself a pat on the back, take some time to relax, and go get yourself a treat.  You earned it.
• Write down your fears.  Sometimes it’s the “not knowing” part of waiting that can feed into the anxiety and frustrations of waiting.  If you find yourself overwhelmed with “what if” questions, I find it helpful to write them down.  Take some time to reflect on what are the worst things that can happen if what you are hoping for doesn’t come into fruition.  What is the worst case scenario?  Once you have that down, write down at least one thing you can do to make that situation better, and one person that you could ask for help.  Having a list of what I can do has helped me overcome many restless nights.
• Reach out.  Spending time with friends and family for a venting session, engaging in some leisurely occupations, and even just some extra tactile input of a big hug has always been helpful when I’m not feeling in control.  Knowing you have people on your side, and rooting for you is always a great source of strength and support.
• Get organized.  Sometimes after taking a big test, I come back to messy desk covered in notes, coffee cups and scattered post-its.  Looking at such a messy space can make me feel even more out of control.  Cleaning your space and getting organized provides me a visual cue to calm my mind and get back that sense of control.  You don’t have to go full Marie Kondo, but even just throwing out those old receipts and candy wrappers that have been living in the bottom of your bag can do the trick.

Waiting is no fun and not know what’s going to happen can be scary.  These are just some of things that have helped me in the past and I hope are helpful for you.  If you feel that you need more information or want to talk to someone about your questions about the OTD program, I am here for you as a resource, so feel free to check out my blog, send in some suggestions or requests for future posts, or just to say hi, send me an email at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).

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