It's not always running from your thoughts. Sometimes it's just nice to be occupied with something pleasant while you're waiting.

Also, sometimes when you're waiting at the doctor's office you're waiting for important news that would trigger anxiety in the healthiest among us, and distracting yourself is a great strategy in those moments.

Right? There were, and still are, magazines in many waiting rooms or TVs. If I want to meditate or sit without distraction it's probably not going to be in a waiting room or at a restaurant.

I tend to read books on mine in such situations. I can sit alone in the woods quietly without any issues, but reading something I brought seems preferable to flipping through the magazine stacks or staring a gray wall.

Reading books is somewhat different than scrolling through endless feeds and numbing yourself, though.

I also prefer to read books in these situations, or face with the thing which makes me uncomfortable. I don't like to have a puddle of thoughts which fester and attack at the most inconvenient times, making my life harder than it should be.

Just because you prefer one thing over another doesn't mean the other is bad.

Not everyone is scrolling through endless feeds, either - I'm more likely to play a game. There are more than two things you can do with a phone.

I don't need to supress my thoughts. I don't know why people jump to this. I do things quietly all the time. Perhaps you shouldn't assume this sort of thing and do something to see others in a more positive light.

The main issue with waiting is that I'm just waiting. I don't like waiting and don't don't see an issue with doing something so the time passes more quickly.

If you don't like something and have the tools to make it a little better, why would you not use them? Especially if it makes you a bit less irritated if they are running late - it makes things better for everyone.