I've heard it, read it, thought it, and said it to myself, countless times:
"Don't think about it. Just don't think about The Great Wait."
As of the date of this post, Johan and I are 8.5 months into our wait. And we expect to wait another 5 months before receiving a decision. We have come to a place of peace about that. But still, there are good days and there are bad days.
I wonder: How do you not think about something that your whole life revolves around? Suppose you would say to a Swede in the dead of winter, "Don't think about the sun." Suppose you would tell a hungry child on the street, "Don't think about food." Suppose you would tell a house in the shadow of a forest fire, "Don't think about water." Suppose you would tell a new parent, "Don't think about sleep."
Before I get too deep into this, I will say without a doubt that dwelling on an undetermined wait period can and very well might drive you mad. As I mentioned in The Swedish Sambo Visa Process Part 5, whether time seems to pass slowly or fast, its pace doesn't actually change; it's just our perception that does. And focusing on waiting on anything, certainly guarantees it will feel longer than it actually is. There are times when occupying your mind with something more constructive than anxiously obsessing over a wait, is very much necessary and warranted. Usually when you feel intolerable anxiety or suffering, that's when you know it's time to regain control and get a better look at the bigger picture. Acknowledge you will, in fact, survive this wait. Regroup.
But, I also chafe against the notion that we should strive always to "not think about it"...
