What to do when waiting for a text or call

Waiting for someone to contact you can be frustrating – here’s what you can do to help the anxiety

Written by spunout

what-to-do-when-waiting-for-a-text-or-call-thumbanail

So you just went out and met someone. You chatted, clicked, exchanged numbers or social media, and made plans to connect again. Now you are waiting for that message, waiting for a sign, any sign that they like you and want to meet up again. Of course, every minute spent waiting for a text feels like an hour. It can be frustrating and leave you feeling fed up or anxious. It’s better if you can find a way to pass the time without getting too hung up on whether or not they’ve been in touch. 

How to wait for a text or call 

Here are ways to make the wait pass by easier:

Give it time

It’s very hard when each minute seems to last an hour, but give the other person time to contact you before you freak out and assume that you will never hear from them again. If you hear from them the next day, great, but be aware that they may take a lot longer to contact you. They may be busy, stressed or simply shy.

Distract yourself 

Instead of sitting around waiting and hoping, find something else to do. Go out with friends, read or practice a hobby, tidy up your space, watch a movie – anything that can take your mind off things for a while. 

Remember your self-worth

Whether they message you or not, you are still a great person. They may not want a relationship, they may have just been flirting, or they may already be in a relationship. This doesn’t change anything about you.

Make the first move

There is no reason why the other person has to be the one to get in touch first. If some time has gone by and you still haven’t heard from them, reach out to them yourself and say hello. They might have been waiting for you to contact them, or they could have been nervous about messaging you. If it turns out they are not that interested after all, at least you’ll know where you stand and you won’t be waiting around to hear from them anymore.

Accept the situation

As hard as it may be, try to accept the situation and whatever happens. You might really like this person and feel disappointed if they don’t get in touch, and that’s okay. Allow yourself to feel that way, but accept that this has happened. If they get in touch that’s great – if not, it will be disappointing, but you will be okay.

Our work is supported by

funders-logo1
Community-foundation
funders-logo3
rethink-ireland