Waiting is a Mind Game – Master it with Strategic Intent
No one naturally likes to wait. We want good things to happen fast, gratification to come quickly. We pay for skip-the-queue tickets believing that getting on more rollercoasters or sitting in a plane for longer is a good thing. When we have to wait in queues, jams, or bureaucratic black holes - life can seem like a bottomless bucket of misery.
Many think that waiting is passive—so change how you think about it. Reframe “waiting for a result to happen” into “mastering the in-between moments.” Done right, waiting can be one of the most quietly active things you will do every day. In reality, you have discovered slices of focused time. Because you don’t know when a certain result will occur, you need to bridge the gap between the present and the future outcome.
Take this practice to a micro level.
Emotions that make waiting difficult—and can hamper productivity or cause upset and distraction—include doubt, boredom, anxiety, frustration, helplessness, and a sense of unfairness.
Life is a waiting game. You could be waiting for your latte. Waiting for exam results. Waiting at the doctor’s office. Waiting for the scale to budge. Waiting for your spouse to quit smoking. Waiting to get pregnant. Waiting for your day in court. Waiting for karma to strike those who hurt you.
Depending on the situation, I like to think of these periods as momentum-gatherers or building blocks of any coping strategy.
Sometimes life throws a curveball—one so hard it might shake your hopes and beliefs. As you go through the stages of healing, you will be waiting to feel better. Waiting for the universe to even itself out and show you fairness. During this time, it is healthy to give yourself space to live in the present. Take control of what you can, and let go of what you cannot.
As you wait for something to happen, consider what you need for yourself and what feels right in that situation. If a relentless pace no longer serves you, transform that energy into quiet discipline. Resist the urge to fall into bad habits or excessive self-indulgence. If you enjoy food, use this time to experiment with creating nourishing, satisfying meals at home rather than overdoing sugary or highly processed foods while binging on Netflix. Reinvest in hobbies you once loved but let slide when work or family priorities took over.
With mental transformation comes physical transformation. When your mind is calm and healthy, it shows in your body and how you move. I am a huge believer in long walks, but also a fan of intense cardio workouts. Both can coexist—it’s a matter of adapting to your circumstances.
Because waiting is often filled with silence and uncertainty, it’s important not to let your mind wander into endless ruminations. These can be destructive, as gaps may be filled with paranoid imaginings and unnecessary stress. The more controlling your personality type, the harder it may be to release and refocus. But obsessing over the unknown or uncontrollable is a major time waster. It makes us anxious and irritable. Instead, identify what will benefit you during the waiting period and dive into it. The more you refocus, the faster time passes. And the more the result you desire will manifest as you detach . And if it doesn’t, after all the perspective you gain from self-mastery, you may not even care as much about the result you once thought was imperative.
“Everything comes in time to him who knows how to wait.” – Leo Tolstoy, War and Peace
