You’ve made the call, great Job!! But now a worker tells you there is a 2 week wait before your first appointment.

 It can be tempting to throw in the towel but seeing this as time to prepare rather than waiting, can help shift your frustration and give you time to get ready for admission into a program or assessment by a worker.  So how would you do that exactly?

Here are our top tips to help pass the waiting time and get you to the finish line.

1. Don’t change a thing. Doing what you have been doing has gotten you here so that’s a great start!  Just keep it simple.
2. Keep Busy – Waiting around is no fun. Get out of the house! Get off the couch and go for a walk. Have something planned to do, hit the beach or walk the dog
3. Be Social - If you are feeling up to it, try meeting up with someone who gets you, head to a day program, call an Aunt or a friend you haven’t seen in a while
4. Get Distracted – Watch this - http://kottke.org/15/12/the-best-youtube-videos-of-2015
5. Look after yourself .Just remember to wash, eat and sleep sometimes.
6. Try a new Hobby - This is a great time to start something creative. Draw or write or anything!
7. Discover your Triggers - If you are up for it, think about what causes you to want to use (they are called triggers) and can be certain people, challenging situations, communication patterns, difficult feelings or thoughts. Write a list. Look at how you can avoid/change these situations/people and make a strategy or plan ahead if you can see something tricky on the horizon.
8. You already know what to do – If you think back to when things have been really tough, it’s likely you made it through by doing things that helped. You are the best expert on you! It can just be that we forget that sometimes. Try to find 5 things that make you feel a bit better. It’s great if they are easy to do, like listen to music, play the guitar or a game of cards, call a mate or go for a jog.  Make a list.
9. Just get through the next hour.  When you are feeling crap, it’s hard to just be in your own skin. All you have to do is keep going.
10. Leave space for the unexpected. Perhaps in the past, the unexpected hasn’t always been so great. Just consider that things could be different, that you don’t know how things are going to be and that it’s possible that things are already changing.
11. Start Dreaming. If a miracle happened and you could do anything - you had nothing stopping you at all, what would you do? What did you want to do when you were younger? What did you stop doing because you were told (by yourself or someone else) you weren’t good enough, smart enough or old enough? When we are feeling down it can be hard to believe it’s possible, but often what we can achieve will really surprise us.
12. Do everything (or  just 1 thing) on this LIST
13. Have a Nap. Enough said.
14. Get good information - If you have made a referral to a service, now is a great time to find out more about it or call the service you are waiting on, for an update on your referral.
15. Check out other options - Research what other supports are available to you. Get online and check out what services your council provide or if there is a day program close to you.
16. Give yourself some credit. You have gotten this far - you are doing great! Be kind to yourself. We believe in you!
17. Don’t try to do anything else except to make it to your appointment. Really, let’s be honest. Life can get crazy, full of chaos and change so all you really need to do is keep your eye on the prize and be at your appointment at the right time – on the right day. And keep safe until then.
18. Call someone - Kids Helpline