Turns out this annoying activity is good for your brain

Imagine you’re at a coffee shop, desperate for your morning caffeine fix.

But the line? It’s crawling at a snail’s pace. With every agonizing second that drags by, your patience wears thinner and the urge to storm behind the counter and pour your own cup grows stronger.

But experts say that aggravating wait might actually be doing you a favor — even if it feels unbearable.

“Research shows that it can be beneficial as it improves self-control,” according to Dr. Ayse Burcin Baskurt, a senior lecturer in applied positive psychology at the University of East London.

“Self-control has broad importance — whether that’s in school or the workplace — because of its implications for learning, decision-making, performance, social relationships and wellbeing,” she explains in a recent article published in The Conversation.

Without self-control, our future ambitions often get steamrolled by short-term urges.

Giving in can feel satisfying in the moment, whether it’s diving headfirst into a tub of ice cream during a diet or firing off a snarky retort in the heat of an argument.

But when those impulsive decisions go unchecked, they can take a toll on your health, strain your relationships and make everyday life more difficult to manage.

Waiting, Baskurt explains, creates space by giving you a crucial pause to regulate emotions, resist temptations and stay focused on your long-term goals.

And the benefits quickly add up. Research shows that people who have better self-control tend to have healthier relationships, stronger finances and greater career success.

They’re also less likely to face challenges like overeating, addiction, procrastination or impulsive behavior.

While waiting can feel frustrating in the moment, it may actually make the eventual reward even sweeter.

One study found that simply anticipating a reward activates the brain’s pleasure and motivation centers, suggesting that the buildup itself is enjoyable.

Beyond that, experts say that regularly practicing self-control helps build a cognitive reserve, which can protect the brain later in life.

“Recent research suggests that our ability to delay gratification could be a crucial factor in protecting against early onset of Alzheimer’s symptoms and other forms of cognitive decline,” Dr. Bobby Hoffman, an educational psychologist, wrote in Psychology Today.

But let’s be real: no matter the perks, waiting is usually a drag.

Studies show that just sitting alone with your thoughts can tank your mood by about 2% every minute.

Just sitting alone with your own thoughts has been shown to cause the average person’s mood to drop by about 2% per minute.

Still, don’t give up just yet. Baskurt has four simple tips to help you turn that agonizing wait into something actually worthwhile.

First up: savor the moment.

“Visualizing the concert, the trip or any event that you long for makes waiting less of an obstacle and more of an extension of the experience,” she wrote.

Next: practice gratitude.

Instead of stewing in frustration or worry, Baskurt recommends pausing to reflect on what you’re thankful for. It shifts the wait into a moment of appreciation, she explains.

You should also try flipping your mindset.

Rather than seeing a wait as a hassle, treat the downtime as a chance to rest, pause or reflect, Baskurt advises.

“When we connect waiting to a sense of purpose, waiting gains direction and meaning,” she wrote.

Finally, master the art of mindfulness.

“Intentionally noticing what’s going on in you and around you can turn an annoying circumstance into a mini check-in and chance to re-charge,” Baskurt explains.

“This small practice may even help to improve your wellbeing by helping you to relax and regulate emotions,” she added.