Bonus: Things to do when waiting

Part two: 13 approaches for waiting well

Somehow you'll escape
all that waiting and staying
You'll find the bright places
where Boom Bands are playing.

—Dr Seuss (from Oh, the Places You’ll Go)

I’m still waiting, and it’s getting under my skin. My sleep is a mess, I’m moody, I feel exhausted by all the placeholder decisions to make and the general untetheredness. 

This is all to say I’m no master of the art of waiting, but rather stumbling through it, too. 

As I’ve delved further into the psychology of waiting, I’ve found it oddly comforting to hear that people overall are generally unskilled at managing their thoughts and feelings while they wait for uncertain news. 

Of course, individual differences mean some people have a higher threshold for uncertainty than others, but it’s nice to know I’m not alone.

It’s also provided a chance for me to ponder how we wait well. As I explored in part one on waiting for things, accepting the fact that waiting is challenging may be the very thing that brings some ease to the experience. 

With acceptance as the starting point, you can then experiment during the different stages of waiting. Some things may be useful to ease anxiety or distress during the waiting period, others may improve our response when the news eventually arrives. 

So while you wait, here is a collection of strategies gleaned from research and my own learnings that may provide relief when you are caught in-between.