Hey there, it's Sanjay.

You know, it feels like we're all back in this never-ending waiting game, right?

Just when we thought life might return to normal, it just feels like an endless wait.

And this got me thinking about a recent conversation I had with psychology professor Kate Sweeney.

We think that really one of the things that makes waiting so hard is it combines two really

unpleasant things.

One is not knowing what's coming and that's the uncertainty and the other is not having

a lot or any control over what is coming and both of those are are existentially difficult.

According to studies, those undergoing a very stressful waiting period reported having disrupted

sleep.

They drank more alcohol, they ate worse, they were exercising less and we know all of that

can lead to serious problems.

But here's the thing.

Sweeney also says that we actually have more control than we might think and she shared

some great tips on how to make the waiting more worthwhile.

So when I've asked people what do you do to make waiting easier, the by far most common

answer is find some way to distract myself.

And in fact, it was that very set of responses that set my lab on the course of studying flow,

which I think of as kind of an exquisite distraction.

It's different for everyone what gets you into a flow state.

That's something that kind of challenges you, pushes you a bit, but not too far.

Those tend to be the activities that work best.

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