Guest Blog: Hey nurse! Are you waiting too?

Waiting can feel frustrating, especially when it comes to visas and immigration. In this “Hey Nurse!” mini series, Conexus nurse, Kristel explores how this period of waiting can actually become a time for growth, skill-building, and personal reflection.

Let’s be honest, for many people, waiting sucks. Our instant gratification culture has successfully taught us to instinctively reject every form of delay. Because of this, waiting is generally not a pleasant experience.

But what if waiting were an opportunity? An opportunity to stop missing out on what’s happening right now.

With our eyes solely focused on the end goal and impatience pressing on us, it gets harder to overcome the obsession with what we’re waiting for. Maybe you are waiting for a work visa to finally be issued, or perhaps it’s an immigration case that’s taking forever, or a long-awaited response following your job application. No matter what we are waiting for, the way we wait matters.

Why it matters

A season of waiting is an excellent opportunity to invest in yourself. Leveraging your time is key to waiting effectively because you could ultimately increase your value on the job market. In other words, instead of folding your hands, you can find ways to cultivate your relevance in the professional arena as you wait.

Here are my top 5 suggestions of things you can intentionally do while waiting:

1. Volunteer

Pouring into others without asking anything in return is one of the blessings of life. It is also a great way to network and enlarge your perspective. You never know what can come out of it!

2. Sharpen your current skills

Maybe you’re really good at what you do already. How about becoming an expert? Adding a certification to your name may increase your chances of standing out in the future.

3. Develop new skills

There are things you have thought about doing since the beginning of the year. Start moving toward learning that new language or that new instrument! Your current workplace might even be a great place to begin developing new competencies.

4. Think and create

Being in a season of waiting means you may have more time to think about your future plans and career path. It may also mean more time to generate ideas for that business you’ve been thinking about but never started.

5. Enjoy life

You already know what you cannot do (i.e., speed things up) however, don’t overlook what you can do. Life is still happening around you, and even though it’s tempting to focus solely on the future, remember: everything doesn’t revolve around what we’re waiting for. Your life is happening right now, and you still have the power to make it a beautiful journey. 

The big takeaway: Don’t fold your hands as you wait. Find something (or many things) to do!

Inspired to take the first step in a life-changing journey? Start your application today.