How do you fill the time when you’re stuck in a drab, sterile patient room, waiting to see the doctor. You arrived on time, in fact you were 15 minutes early. You waited in the lobby 30 minutes only to wait in an exam room 30 minutes longer. How in the world do you deal? Is your time not equally as important?
Frustrating as it may be, it’s reality and odds are you complaining or acting like a fool is not going to change a think. It’s a part of life and something none of us cane control, the doctor and his staff included. So instead of being angry, here are some simple tips to get you through!
1. Remain Calm. Try and remember that someone else may be having a much worse day than you are. And while it may seem inconsiderate nobody planned to make you wait on purpose. This was not intentional. Take some slow deep breaths, count backwards from 100, whatever you gotta do to keep your crap together. Most likely there is a perfectly good reason they are behind.
2. Plan Ahead. It is rare that one will actually go to the doctor and not wait. Bring a book, bills you need to pay, balance your check book (if anyone still does that these days), plan an upcoming event/party etc. This is an excellent time to have some quiet time, time to catch up, prepare, reflect on whatever it is you’ve got going on. Enjoy stepping away from the hustle and bustle. Breathe, chill, relax.
3. Don’t schedule too many appointments on one day. Allow enough time to wait. Don’t schedule an appointment an hour later and not allow time for them to be running behind, and don’t forget your drive time. There is absolutely no need for the added stress. If you’re that busy then you need to plan it on a different day or take a long hard look in the mirror. Maybe you’ve taken on too much and need to learn a little about decluttering your life (more on that to come)
Keep it together mama. Try and make the most of the down time that other people may call waiting. This is your time. Time to get organized, time to read, time to even get in a little bit of your favorite bible study! Your day is what you make it, you won’t get a re do. So make the most of it!