Waiting seasons are like challenging seasons. You are either in a waiting season, coming out of a waiting season or in the middle of one. The same can be said of challenging seasons—you are either in one, coming out of one or in between them. For today, we are going to focus on waiting seasons.

I read a quote recently that said, “Just because you are called does not mean you are sent.” You may be called to something but also be waiting for it. For example, you may feel called to be an attorney, but just now applying to law school.

You may be waiting to finish school, waiting to get married or find a partner, waiting to get pregnant or waiting to get a promotion at work. You may be waiting for a report from the doctor or healing from a certain disease. You may be waiting for someone to accept your apology. Everyone is waiting for something.

People don’t often talk about it, but there is a way to “wait well.” Think about what you do when you are waiting for something. Do you worry? Do you lose sleep? Do you over-eat or consume too much alcohol? How do you wait?

One of the most difficult parts about waiting is that it forces us to realize we are not in control. We cannot control time or how it unfolds. We can only control what we do in the waiting. All of life can be placed in two categories—what we can control and what we cannot control. Since much of life falls into the category of what we cannot control, we need to learn what to do during these times.

I will give tips on how to wait well during the second part of the blog on this topic. But, for now, ask yourself these questions. Are you currently in a season of waiting? If so, what are you waiting for and more importantly how are you waiting? Are you ruminating—thinking over and over about what may come to pass? Are you dreaming—thinking about how well things may go? Are you falling into the cognitive trap of “fortune telling”—believing you can predict the future? By the way, most people who fall into the trap of “fortune telling” predict negative outcomes. What does your waiting look like and how does it impact your mental health?

Are you feeling anxious? Depressed? Are you having trouble eating or sleeping? If you are in a season of waiting and feel you are not navigating it well, we can help. Our trained and experienced clinicians can help you learn how to wait well. And the good news is, once you acquire some skills to help you wait well you can apply these to new life situations that involve waiting as they emerge.

If you need help learning to wait well, please contact Life Enhancement Counseling Services today at 407-443-8862 to schedule an appointment with one of our licensed mental health counselors.