How to wait

See if you can enjoy, rather than endure, wait times

Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:03):
Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of I Heart Radio.
Good Morning. This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast.
Today's tip is to figure out how to wait. Being
able to wait well can help make any situation feel

(00:23):
like less of a waste of time. So, like almost everyone,
I hate waiting, but sometimes it's inevitable, and sometimes it's
in the service of cool things. I'm thinking here of
a trip I took to Yellowstone National Park with my
older three children. Yellowstone is known for its geysers. Old

(00:47):
Faithful is famous for being well faithful. It goes off
every ninety one minutes on average, plus or minus about
ten minutes. Other geysers have a much long window of possibility.
My kids really wanted to see the Grand Geyser, which
promised to be grand, but the eruption window was some

(01:09):
time between five and six pm. So we got to
the geyser at four fifty five on a frigid afternoon,
and there we sat. I had my phone but almost
no reception, plus my hands were too cold to take
the phone out of my pockets. So how should I

(01:29):
spend this uncertain quantity of time? In this case, I
chatted with the kids and I walked around, partly to
keep myself warm, but also because movement is a good
way to make time pass while improving mood. It worked,
and of course all time passes. Eventually the wait time

(01:51):
was going to be over. The guys are erupted around
five fifty p m. And it was indeed spectacular, grand
even definitely worth the weight. We all wind up waiting
sometimes for something. On that same trip, we got stuck
behind a bison on the road. He was waddling along

(02:12):
at his own pace, and no power on Earth was
going to move him. We wait for planes, We wait
for water to boil. When possible, it's best to have
something to read or something to listen to. An hour
passes pleasantly with a nice podcast. My kids and I
sometimes look at old pictures on our phones together that

(02:34):
we can do even with no reception. Another person who
is waiting with you might be engaged in pleasant conversation.
Try asking about favorite memories and letting the other person talk.
Active listening can make a wait go by. Quickly, close
your eyes and think of happy memories. Close your eyes

(02:55):
and meditate on a single word, or walk around if
you can, but ask yourself this question, what can I
do during this waiting time that would make me happier
than I was before? It's often hard to do. We
all get impatient yep, even at a bison, or more specifically,

(03:19):
at the people who didn't pass the bison when he
moved to the side of the road because they wanted
to get pictures. But waiting can be tolerable or even
slightly pleasant if we try so. Today. Think of ways
you might pass time when you need to. What would
make any waiting better. Have this option ready and you

(03:42):
might just stop wishing time away in the meantime. This
is Laura. Thanks for listening, and here's to making the
most of our time. Hey, everybody, I'd love to hear
from you. You can send me your tips, your questions,

(04:04):
or anything else. Just connect with me on Twitter, Facebook
and Instagram at Before Breakfast pod. That's b the number four,
then Breakfast p o D. You can also shoot me
an email at Before Breakfast podcast at i heeart media
dot com. That Before Breakfast is spelled out with all
the letters. Thanks so much, I look forward to staying

(04:27):
in touch. Before Breakfast is a production of I Heart Radio.
For more podcasts from my Heart Radio, visit the i
heart radio, app, Apple podcasts, or wherever you listen to
your favorite shows.