There’s beauty in the waiting.
We've all heard it, but who has the patience to wait?
Waiting is one of the most infuriating experiences. We're waiting at the doctor's office. We are awaiting exam results. We are awaiting job offers. We wait and wait and wait. Many people become bored, anxious, and angry as they lose their patience.
"Patience is not simply the ability to wait - it's how we behave while we're waiting."
- Joyce Meyer
Why is waiting so stressful?
Waiting is stressful because we perceive as we have no control over our current circumstances. Waiting for a prognosis or a result can be stressful for a person who expects the worst outcome which often does not happen. There is the constant looping thought of “what if this happens”, “what if something worse occurs?” and because the person is present in the environment they find it difficult to distract themselves or switch their attention to a different subject.
Why do people get anxious while waiting? What happens in the brain?
When a person is anxious, the emotional center of the brain known as the amygdala gets activated. One main role of the amygdala is to keep us alert and away from danger. Activating this region of the brain actually keeps us in the mode of needing to look out for threats or events that may go wrong even if they are imaginations created from the mind.
Here’s how you can reduce anxiety while waiting:
1. Stop the looping thought by introducing a new stimulus
It could be the deliberate act of playing your favorite song, watching a funny video or movie which you are engrossed in. it could also be reading a book or engaging in a conversation with your loved ones. You could even be doing a mindfulness exercise or simply observing others (just don’t be a creep and stare at people for too long without blinking haha!)
2. Question and reframe the thoughts playing in your mind
Instead of allowing the automatic worry thought patterns continue, challenge them:
Is this really true?
Is this really going to happen to me?
What are the chances that the worst case scenario might happen?
What if I’m just playing the worst case scenario in my head and the actual event is not as bad as I think it would be?
3. Self-hypnosis
Either through a guided audio or by closing your eyes, repeating scenes of the best case scenario happening to you can help calm your mind down. Bringing to your mind’s eye the people you love, the activities you enjoy engaging in, the things that make you happy can reduce anxious feelings when it comes to waiting.
When you practice self-hypnosis, the brain switches off the critical faculty in your mind, thereby reducing the worrisome thought and allows you to be receptive to other possible scenarios to play out for you - choose to engage with the positive thoughts!
Remember: you have a choice in how you respond to certain situations. You have the option to be patient or not. Instead of allowing impatience to build, you can literally challenge any negative assumptions and aim to reframe the situation in a more positive light.
I would love to learn more about the strategies that work best for you! Tell us about it in the comments! ⬇️
Since you’re here, be sure to subscribe to our email list and be part of the EB Tribe. You’ll get instant access to a powerful training guide that I created to help you release the critical, judgmental thoughts in your mind 📩. You’ll also get exclusive content, some special love notes, and personal updates from me that I simply don't share anywhere else 🤫
