Waiting puts a Weight on my Mind
October 9, 2013 2:02 PM Subscribe
I just mailed off a Very Important Application. How do I remain calm in the weeks or months before I hear back?
The results of this application will seriously impact the next few years of my life. The application is done and sent off (yay!), so there's nothing more I can do about it now. But still, worries creep into my mind and I start feeling anxious about it. I won't be hearing back for at least a month, if not longer.
I'm trying to keep myself busy, which is helping, but it's the quiet moments when I'm on the bus or about to fall asleep when my mind wanders and my heart starts to race. How can I convince my brain to forget about this until I get the results?
The results of this application will seriously impact the next few years of my life. The application is done and sent off (yay!), so there's nothing more I can do about it now. But still, worries creep into my mind and I start feeling anxious about it. I won't be hearing back for at least a month, if not longer.
I'm trying to keep myself busy, which is helping, but it's the quiet moments when I'm on the bus or about to fall asleep when my mind wanders and my heart starts to race. How can I convince my brain to forget about this until I get the results?
Best answer: Oh man, I have very recent experience with this. Ignignokt has it - find something to focus on, and whenever that thought creeps in, think "Right, that's stressful, I'm going to think about this other thing instead." You *will* think about it, don't get upset about not being able to stop yourself, but just acknowledge and redirect.
(I submitted something Jan 1 that was a) really important to me and b) not getting a reply until midsummer. I have lots and LOTS of practice doing this. But it worked out - I really didn't give myself an ulcer over it, and was pretty much able to put it out of my mind.)
posted by restless_nomad at 2:15 PM on October 9, 2013
(I submitted something Jan 1 that was a) really important to me and b) not getting a reply until midsummer. I have lots and LOTS of practice doing this. But it worked out - I really didn't give myself an ulcer over it, and was pretty much able to put it out of my mind.)
posted by restless_nomad at 2:15 PM on October 9, 2013
How to be happy
The single most important thing you can do for stress
posted by 517 at 7:07 PM on October 9, 2013 [1 favorite]
The single most important thing you can do for stress
posted by 517 at 7:07 PM on October 9, 2013 [1 favorite]
Trying not to think of a elephant makes you, well, think of an elephant. So my tactic is to think of nothing but elephants for a while: their colour, their shape, the texture of their skin, the way they walk...until I run out of elephantine details to think about. Then I get sick of elephants and stop thinking about them.
What I mean is that you could think about what you might do if the outcome is undesirable. Listing your options makes failure seem less disastrous, and you'll find yourself dwelling on the outcome a lot less if you're prepared one way or the other.
posted by fix at 9:22 AM on October 11, 2013
What I mean is that you could think about what you might do if the outcome is undesirable. Listing your options makes failure seem less disastrous, and you'll find yourself dwelling on the outcome a lot less if you're prepared one way or the other.
posted by fix at 9:22 AM on October 11, 2013
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posted by ignignokt at 2:04 PM on October 9, 2013 [1 favorite]