How do you deal with the anxiety of waiting?

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Hi! I've been lurking and learning a lot from this site for awhile, but am a very new poster.

After years of completing prereqs while working full-time, I applied to my top choice school for a 2nd Degree BSN. I should hear something in a few weeks. I'm a nervous wreck!

I'm also unemployed by choice right now, so I have a lot of time to think...and wait...and think. I'm trying to see friends, read, scan the forums here, meditate, work out, and volunteer when I can, but that fills up only about 1/2 of my (very) free time right now.

My friends & family are a good support system, but don't really understand how hard this process is, especially meeting all the different prereqs required by 2nd degree programs. They come from the experience of taking the GRE and then just applying to grad schools.

Does anyone have any other good strategies or advice for not going completely crazy during this time? And, I know actual school will be 100% more stressful than this short waiting period, but then, hopefully I'll have a support system of people going through the same experiences.

Thank you in advance!

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Specializes in Critical Care, Postpartum.

I, myself, is in the waiting game for the Accelerated BSN program I applied to. I won't find out till next month. I try to keep myself busy in the meantime as well. But, it's getting close and my stomach can't help but be in a knot. I keep hearing, "Congratulations, you've been accepted. Sorry, you have been denied. Congratulations, you've been accepted. Sorry, you have been denied. Congratulations, you've been accepted. Sorry, you have been denied. Congratulations, you've been accepted." AHHHHHH! Make it stop! :nuke:

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Specializes in CEN, SCRN.

Beer? :) Good luck with the wait!

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Volunteer at a hospital! They usually let you chose what area and it will get you some hands-on while you wait :)

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Specializes in NICU Nurse.

I read these forums :p

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Specializes in Emergency Nursing.

Whenever I have a lot of nervous energy, I do a physical task that takes time and thought, like pulling out old clothes to donate, organizing the drawers in my bathroom, or cleaning my desk. I am unemployed right now too, and I've been making my way through the Cooking Light cookbook--planning, shopping, prep, and actually cooking takes up more time then I expected!

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.5 mg of Valium? No, not what you were looking for? ;-) LOL

After waiting and then getting rejected this past spring and summer, I found myself repeating "Pilot. Pilot. Pilot..." in the hopes of reminding myself that God is the Pilot of my life and that no matter what I do, I can't change the future. So I need to quit worrying.

So whenever I start obsessing about it, or feel my stomach start to harden into a knot, I just repeat "pilot" over and over and over until I calm down. Or my ADHD brain moves on to something shiny. :-)

GL!!!

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