Waiting is rarely easy, but it can be especially difficult to handle when we're forced to be patient for days, weeks, or even longer. Time can seem to come to an absolute standstill when we're forced to wait much longer than we want, but it will actually help to remind yourself about what exactly it is you're waiting for or working towards.  Perhaps you are struggling to get through the day-to-day grind of a terrible summer job that you need to pay for college tuition. Summer can seem like an eternity when you're stuck in a job you hate, but reminding yourself daily about why you've committed to this will help you get through it. As motivation, consider keeping a copy of your fall course schedule in your pocket at work, or wear a pin with your school's insignia. Of course we want what we want when we want it, but working hard and waiting for something adds value to it. You'd get good use out of a new computer if it was suddenly given to you, but you'll appreciate it more if your gratification is delayed. You may have hated having to deal with your old model, but waiting (and being stuck with your old clunker for so long) will make your new computer seem so much more awesome by comparison once you finally manage to get it. Whenever time seems to crawl to a stop, we're better able to cope by finding ways to distract ourselves. If you are faced with a longer wait time, it's even more important to try to find ways to fill your time. Taking up a hobby that allow you to develop your talents and explore your interests is one of the best ways to get through a long wait.  For example, you may be separated from a loved-one and are facing many more lonely weeks before you can be reunited. It's great to spend some of your time planning for their return, but if all you do is focus on far-away day, you're current loneliness and impatience will likely increase and perhaps become unbearable. Now is the perfect time for you to work on training for a marathon, take up gardening or woodworking, make the perfect loaf of bread, etc. If you're waiting for something which has an uncertain outcome—exam scores or the result of a medical test, for example—there are good reasons in support of having an optimistic outlook and looking to the future with a measure of hope.  For example, you may be able to reduce your risk of hypertension and the healing process may be improved if you are able to maintain a positive outlook about your situation.  There is evidence that negative emotions can slow down our perception of time. Our time is more focused on what we're going through when we're depressed, anxious, or bored, and so it will feel as though time is moving more slowly. While you'll be better able to deal with long waits and periods of uncertainty if you are able to maintain a positive attitude, it's only natural to sometimes feel down and pessimistic about your situation. If you place too much pressure on yourself to be optimistic all the time, you'll only be more frustrated with yourself when you're not able to preserve a constant sunny outlook.  There are actually some benefits to having a (slightly) pessimistic outlook. If you end up getting a poor score on your exam, for example, you won't have been blind-sided. Spending some time imagining the worst-case scenario can better prepare you for what is hopefully just an unlikely outcome. If the worst does come to pass, you may be better prepared to move forward. This waiting game is about achieving balance: Do your best to be positive, but be willing to give yourself a break and not fight too hard against your negative thoughts. Some research has suggested that when we try too hard to self-regulate our emotions, our perception of time is negatively effected. For example, in a recent study, participants who were asked to remain emotionally neutral when watching clips from a tear-jerker judged that the clip was significantly longer than did those who hadn't been asked to control their emotions. Turning your attention outwards and finding ways to help others is an excellent way for you to get through a long waiting period. Not only are you helping yourself by finding an activity to make the time pass a bit more quickly, but you're actually making a positive impact on the lives of others.  Volunteer at your local soup kitchen, tutor area children, help your elderly neighbor with her yard-work—there are innumerable ways to use your talents and skills to help those in your community. One of the most effective ways to find happiness and fulfillment in your own life is to not make your own happiness your explicit goal, but to instead aim to make others happy. Being happy and enjoying what you are doing will in turn help you with your own quest to be patient. You may have heard that time flies when you're having fun, and there's some research to indicate that our perceptions of time really do quicken when we're enjoying ourselves. While it's important to have goals that we must work for (and wait on), and while we are sometimes forced to get through difficult times, it's important not to let your life slip by while you are planning for the future.  Write down what is going well in your life and what your sources of happiness are. This will help you maintain a positive outlook and keep things in perspective. Be sure to grab opportunities to have fun when they present themselves!

Summary: Keep your eye on the prize. Know that good things really do come to those who wait. Take up a hobby. Do your best to think positively. Allow yourself to have moments of doubt or negativity. Go with the flow. Focus on others. Be present in the present.


Do not wait to see if symptoms progress to evaluate the person’s condition, initiate treatment, and monitor their progress or decline..  Talk to the person calmly. If the person is conscious, talking to them can help you to continue to evaluate their condition.  Continue to provide updates to the dispatcher on the person’s level of consciousness, their respirations, and pulse. Check and maintain a clear airway, monitor their breathing, and keep check on their circulation by checking the pulse. Monitor their level of consciousness every few minutes until the paramedics arrive. If the person vomits or is bleeding from the mouth, and there is no suspicion of spinal injury, turn the person onto their side to keep the airway clear and prevent choking.  If spinal injury is suspected and the person is vomiting or bleeding from the mouth, clear the airway if possible without moving their head, back, or neck.  Place your hands on each side of the person’s face and gently lift their jaw and open the mouth with your fingertips to clear the airway. Be careful not to move their head and neck.  If you cannot clear their airway, get help to use a log-rolling maneuver to roll them onto their side to prevent choking.  One person should try to keep the head and neck supported and in line with the back as a straight unit, while another person gently rolls the injured person onto their side.
Summary: Stay with the person until help arrives. Continue your treatment. Prevent choking.