part-2
About two years ago I was waiting for a visa for a study programme abroad — and it turned into one of the longer, more stressful waits of my life.
I had submitted all the documents in early March and was told the outcome would come within six weeks. Six weeks came and went with no word. I followed up twice by email and got standard automated replies. By week ten I was genuinely anxious — I had already deferred my current job by two months, paid a non-refundable tuition deposit, and arranged accommodation. Everything depended on a decision that seemed to be completely out of my hands.
What got me through it was keeping myself busy. I continued working part-time, used the extra time to improve my language skills, and made a point of not checking my inbox more than once a day, because I found that constantly refreshing it made the anxiety much worse. I also told myself that worrying about something I couldn't control was simply a poor use of energy, which sounds obvious but actually took real effort to believe.
The decision eventually came through in week fourteen — approved. But what stayed with me wasn't the relief. It was more that I stopped believing patience is something you either have or you don't. You get through a long wait by staying busy — not by sitting with it and hoping you feel okay.