How do you pass the time while waiting for something?

United States
February 17, 2011 2:59pm CST
We spend a lot of time waiting for things. Sometimes we're waiting for a specific day to come like Christmas, or a vacation, or a birthday. Sometimes we're waiting for news, like results from a test. Sometimes we're just waiting for something important to come in the mail. Sometimes waiting makes me anxious. Like right now. My husband is at the shop with my car, the check engine light came on. I'm waiting for him to text me and let me know what is wrong with the car. I'm hoping it's nothing too expensive. He texted me about an hour ago saying they just put it on the lift.. and since then the only news I heard was that it needs new brake pads and rotors, which I figured already. It's driving me crazy that I haven't heard anything else yet, especially the more important news like why is the check engine light on! Does waiting for something important make you anxious? What do you do to pass the time while you're waiting?
20 responses
@dawnald (85135)
• Shingle Springs, California
17 Feb 11
I'm waiting for tomorrow so that I can file these papers. And I'm working, chatting, etc. while I wait...
@dawnald (85135)
• Shingle Springs, California
17 Feb 11
I am nothing if not exciting!
• United States
17 Feb 11
How exciting!
1 person likes this
@bounce58 (17387)
• Canada
20 Feb 11
Four days a week I bring my kids to their taekwondo class. One is a beginner, and the other is a senior belt, so the otherwise 45-minute class turns into an hour and half wait. Early last year, I would always be bored out of my mind waiting for them. Nowadays that I have had my blackberry, I have found a lot of things to keep my mind busy while waiting for them.
• United States
20 Feb 11
I bring my daughter to dance, though that's only once a week.. and that is usually my social time.. I chit chat with the other moms. Though when I bring her to baton I don't know any of the other parents, so yesterday when I brought her to baton I did my banking.. I used my phone to sign on to my bank account so I could update my checkbook.
@jillhill (37354)
• United States
17 Feb 11
Truthfully I try to do something constructive while I wait..usually that's working in my craft room as that relaxes me....if its a wait like for a day then I try to stay busy....otherwise I go nuts!
• United States
17 Feb 11
I was doing something constructive by starting this discussion! I was told the only thing wrong with my car was the brakes. I don't feel totally confident in that assessment.. but only time will tell.
18 Feb 11
If something in the immediate future, like what you are waiting for today I usually just read a book! If it's not I stress all day, everyday until I find out about I am waiting for! Lol
• United States
18 Feb 11
So I am not the only one who gets anxious.. that's good to know! Turns out all my car really needed was brakes.. though I'm still nervous that it had some hidden problems! I think my car is posessed or something, lol.
@dodo19 (47118)
• Beaconsfield, Quebec
17 Feb 11
Usually, I try to actually do something to keep my mind off waiting and such. I try not to think about the fact that I'm waiting at all. I usually try to read, or write something, or something like that.
• United States
17 Feb 11
Depending on what I'm waiting for, I can try to find things to take my mind off it.
@mermaidivy (15395)
• United States
18 Feb 11
The most time that I spend on waiting is waiting for my husband to come home from work everyday. He gets a lot of thing to do at work so he works very late everyday. I wait and wait everyday. I usually finish all the housework during the day. So what I do when I am waiting for my husband is surfing on the internet or watch some tv, play with my baby and doggie... I just hope sometimes he can come home earlier from work... I'm used to it now spo I don't even expect to see him at 7:00p.m..
• United States
18 Feb 11
I know that is tough, mine works late everyday too.
@yoyo1198 (3641)
• United States
18 Feb 11
If I'm out when I'm waiting, I read. I always have a book with me. Sometimes it is my bible. If I'm near a computer I browse or do the myLot stuff. Staying occupied helps the wait period go faster. I've learned to just go with things and chill, tend to what needs to be done.
@indahfth (11161)
• Indonesia
20 Feb 11
Waiting are the moments of the most boring. But not boring, if during the wait, we have busy. As I waited for my child home from school, and waited for my husband came home from work, I wrap myself with completing household chores, after all the work is completed, I was watching television, or open Internet. With all the busyness that I do, time was fast running, and I do not feel tired of waiting.
@dorannmwin (36392)
• United States
21 Feb 11
When there are things that make me really anxious, I tend to veg in front of the computer with some kind of mindless video games. It is something that is really good at keeping my mind off of things that are really bothering me. In fact, I have really bad anxiety when it comes to the emergency room in hospitals that if I have to accompany someone to the ER, I will take my laptop with me so that I don't go insane.
@Danzylop (1120)
• Philippines
18 Feb 11
I set my goal. WHen waiting for my main something, I prefer to do other things so as not to waste time waiting for something. However when I do not have anything to do, its either I sleep or keep playing PC games, surf the net and visit my mylot account.
• India
18 Feb 11
while responding to the discussion, as i m a student...waiting is our part till i dint get succeed.. Daily i went to college..from hostel..ist wait for bathroom to vacant...then in breakfast line..then for friends.if any case they were late..then wait for teacher to come..then wait for the time wen class get over...likewise whole day..goes in waiting for something..wat should we do??? simple wait n keep patience..waiting for someone or something is a test of your patience...so there are many things to do while we're waiting...like..music,chat on phone..do the work which is pending long tym. or any unpredicted work..
@dreamnishu (1247)
• China
18 Feb 11
hello friend! i really do not like to wait for something specially for some one.it is make me so bad.but i am waiting for my birthday,new year,my mothers birthday,my sister birth day and of course like to waiting for my ISLAMIC occasion.waiting makes me anxious.for pass my time i can do ready every thing for that special day.i want to look beautiful in that day. thanks a lot.
• United States
18 Feb 11
I normally just do things to occupy my mind like talk to family or watch tv, listen to music.
• Philippines
18 Feb 11
I try my best to be productive every minute of the day becuase I don't want to waste time. For major events, like Christmas, vacation et. al. I try to keep myself busy with other things so not be anxious with the anticipation.
@sandymay16 (1617)
• Philippines
18 Feb 11
Depends on what you are waiting for or where you are waiting. It happened to me while waiting for my turn in doctor's clinic, just doing nothing and staring into nothing being tense. Then There's a time that I was waiting for someone in the mall, I checked almost every item on sale but not buying and annoying the sales clerk while getting the bottom most item so everything on top goes tumbling down [em]wub[/em. But most times, I read a magazine if there's one reading every pages until it's my turn. And sending messages to everybody not expecting replies or reading the text messages stored in the phone over and over again.
• Philippines
18 Feb 11
hello katsmeow! to avoid being anxious i focus on other things while waiting for something. I usually bring a book wherever i go so when opportunity comes up to while the time away, i grab my book and focus reading it. It would be hard at first, if you're really anxious about something but it takes practice and constant practice to be able to focus on something, while you're waiting for something at the back of your mind.
18 Feb 11
Well, I think conditioning is important. So, what I normally do is to take my mind off the things in question. While waiting for an event to take place, I will do other chores and if there is time, catch a movie or two or if I am waiting outside for my car to be repaired or washed, I normally bring a book along to read. That really takes away my mind from the thing that is going to happen. It helps to relax me and to keep away the anxieties.
• United States
18 Feb 11
Hey katsmeow1213, It's good to relax. When I pass time waiting for something, I listen to music. It often relaxes me, and is enjoyable. I not only listen to music, but: -play video games -surf the web -check my email -chill out I don't like the anxious feeling, so this is how I get rid of it.
@thatgirl13 (7294)
• South Korea
18 Feb 11
Yep waiting makes me very anxious. Actually sometimes it's so difficult to wait for someone or something. Whenever I have to wait for my friends, i get mad if they're late. I usually listen to music or play mobile games to kill time.
@Loner01 (64)
• United States
17 Feb 11
Most of my free time is spent doing things such as these paid forums. And when i get sick of doindg this for hours straight. I stay loggedn though while i wait for my dfaily payouts from this, I go out on the internet and try to find many other various paying websites to do various things. LOL and by the time i'm done with signing up on all the other websites and getting bored with them, I come back here to this website and blog EVEN MORE to earn EVEN MORE money! :) LOL :)