Your anxiety may tend to heighten when it comes to waiting. It can be that you are nervous about a doctor’s appointment or that you are waiting in a long line to your favorite ride but the clock is ticking for the park to close. According to a Mental Floss study, scientists have come up with a number of ways to make waiting easier without becoming tense.
Music
Listening to music can help make the experience of waiting more bearable. You could be waiting for some nerve-wracking music and you cannot take your mind off of it. Listening to music tends to make us happy whether it is bands that we know or a completely different genre. Music can provide you with a great distraction since an entire album can take at least half an hour to listen to.
Bring a Friend
Waiting for something like anticipating news can intensify those feelings of anxiety if you are alone in your thoughts. Having a friend with you while you wait can make waiting much easier. Your friend can start a number of conversation topics to help distract you or you can play a game whether it is on your phone or one that the two of you make up. You can even find some social events to do with your friends to make the time go faster.
Estimate Your Wait Time
To better help ease your waiting, figure out what the estimated wait time is. For example, look at your maps app to see the estimated time it will take for the bus to come. If you are waiting for your food to come, ask your server how long it should take. This will help give you an idea so that you know what you want will eventually come to you.
Accept Waiting
You are always going to have to wait for something. So if you know you are waiting for something that requires a long wait like a doctor’s appointment, do not get irritable or stressed if you knew this was bound to happen. The same can go for things that are unexpected like if your flight is snowed in and gets delayed. Understand the chances of something like this happening the next time you go to the airport and bring activities to better prepare like word games or a book. By finding distractions, waiting will be much more bearable.
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