The 10 Worst Places To Be Stuck Waiting – Now What?
I spent yesterday morning at the dentist and the DMV . . . not my favorite. Just a couple of places I hate to wait.
Do you know the worst places to wait?
10 Worst Places To Be Stuck Waiting
- Airports
- Fast Food Places
- Hospitals
- Department of Motor Vehicles (Looks like I’m not alone.)
- Concession Stands
- Restrooms
- Theme Parks
- Grocery Stores
- Movie Box Offices
- Pharmacy
And I would add – Jury Duty.
How do you pass the time without losing your mind when you have to wait?
As a child I could amuse myself for hours in the land of my imagination, but that doesn’t work anymore. Maybe it’s time to make a list of tips for the next time we’re forced to wait.
5 Things To Do When You Have to Wait
1. Take something to read – now it may seem obvious to you, but I have failed in this area. I’m accustomed to reading on my electronic devices, but once the battery wears down I end up frustrated and impatient. I recommend taking some good old-fashioned ink and paper reading material.
“The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.” ~Dr. Seuss
2. Take pen and paper – Carry some place to take notes, make lists, and save ideas. Preachers, speakers, and writers live life in stories; so having a place to note them for future reference is essential. You have a story…
3. Get up and move around – It will make you feel better. You’ll be less impatient, avoid stiffness, and improve your mood. If you’re stuck in line . . . do isometric exercises, practice good posture, stand on your toes, anything that moves your muscles.
4. Pray – It’s not the first thing I think of when I’m restless or impatient, but it should be. I am not likely to evangelize everyone in the room, but I can pray for them. Specifics aren’t necessary when asking the Lord to bless someone and meet their needs.
Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart. Colossians 4:2
5. Dream – This is something I plan to make an intentional part of my days again. I don’t want to ever stop, because dreaming involves hope. Hope that includes goal setting and future planning. It brings out the child in us. And it’s fun.
[Tweet “”You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.” C.S.Lewis”]
Waiting is a blessing when it helps us admit we are prone to restlessness and impatience. Admitting a weakness is often the beginning of change, and knowing what to do when we are kept waiting will help us keep our ugly side hidden.
We ask God to give you complete knowledge of His will and to give you spiritual wisdom and understanding. Then the way you live will always honor and please the Lord, and your lives will produce every kind of good fruit. All the while, you will grow as you learn to know God better and better. We also pray that you will be strengthened with all his glorious power so you will have all the endurance and patience you need. Colossians 1:9–11
What do you do to pass time when you’re trying to keep a pleasant demeanor and hide impatience?
Photo Credit – BossFight.co
All great tips!!!
Thanks Connie!
Reading is always good when in a waiting mode.
As for your question? Prayer! And get up and move away from the irritation…TVs in medical waiting rooms are my worst annoyance! If nobody else is there, I can turn down the volume. If someone is watching I try to distract my mind by reading…or moving as far away as possible. lol
These are great tips. I used to carry a book to places I know I might be waiting. Places like the DMV, Doctors waiting rooms and any time I go out to Denver International Airport, especially in the winter. I recently found something a little more entertaining. I have a Sling Adapter connected to my DISH DVR. This lets me control my TV while away from home. I can set my DVR recordings to catch shows I might miss. The best feature is that I can stream all of my live TV channels and DVR recordings anywhere I can get a 3g, 4g or WIFI network connection. I added the adapter because I work nights at DISH and I miss a lot of my favorite shows. I have since found that it is an invaluable companion anywhere I go.
I almost always take something with me to read when I know I’m in for a wait. I really like the suggestion that we spend that waiting time praying for those who are waiting right along with us. I’ll be sure to put that into practice!
Blessings, Deb!
For anticipated long wait times, I’ll usually bring some work or reading along with me. It’s the unanticipated waits that get me. I’ve started using some of those brief moments to go over my scripture memory verses. I have an app on my phone – Fighter Verses – that’s great for that.
Love these ideas — so simple, yet so true! We waste so much time waiting. I was at the drs office a couple weeks ago with one of my kids for two hours — wish I would have had some of these ideas then 🙂 Oh well, next time!
ha. My wife worked for the Indiana BMV for close to 8 years. Be careful. Be very careful. I know where your blog is. 🙂 I usually take along something to read, although I don’t do well standing up and reading.At check out lines I amuse myself by looking at the stupid headlines on magazines.(Two-headed monster has three-headed child kind). I do a lot of people watching as well. I do what STYX sang about: “Come Sail Away.”
Bill, you had me laughing out loud. Although I’m not a fan of waiting at the DMV, yesterday’s visit went quite well. I had everything I needed, and only had four people ahead of me in line. I can’t imagine the patience it must have taken for your wife to remain pleasant as she helped cranky impatient people. I’m bestowing a sainthood award on her. 🙂
It sounds like you find people and life very entertaining. Good for you. We could all use more of that! Blessings!
Sainthood accepted. LOL And actually i do tend to find people and life interesting and amusing. Life’s too short and too precious to wallow in the pit, bemoaning my lot in life.
i will like to add this —thank God for his faithfulness to your wonderful list. thanks for sharing and God Bless.