Delays are the terrible and cancellations are even worse. I recently experienced an extremely long flight delay which resulted in a missed connection and way too much coffee. Airports can be loud, smelly, dirty, or just plain depressing and, at these moments, you might be so stressed and/or in despair over your situation that you suddenly realize that you don't know what to do with yourself. So, the stress escalates. Here are some options to help pass the time.

1. People watch.

Have you ever noticed how weird the human race can be? With already being a great representation of this, I tend to take a natural interest in what other people are doing around me. An interior monologue might go something like this: "What's that person reading? Oh, it's 'Fifty Shades of Grey.' That's awkward, yet I appreciate that confidence. Why is that person wearing five layers when it's stifling hot in here? He's possibly part Eskimo. There are so many people here. I bet those two over there are married, they look pretty mad at each other. They're definitely married."

2. Count something.

Pick an object or action and see how many times you spot it in your area. How many Starbucks people are there? How many parents are running after their kids? How many sports fans can you spot? How many times can you see your favorite color? The list goes on and on. You could get super creative and do facial expressions. How many people look like they need a drink? Who's closest to falling asleep? Who's staring awkwardly at their hands or entranced with the floor? I find this to be immensely entertaining and downright hilarious, especially when you make awkward eye contact. I wonder what expression I have when that happens?

3. Use your smartphone, but not too much.

Of course you have a smartphone that has a million games and apps on it to keep you company, but that fun is limited. Apps wear down your battery extremely fast and you will need your phone to communicate with friends and family on your flight status. Sure, you can fight for one of the few outlets, but you're competing with an entire plane this time, not just your brother or sister at home.

4. Pretend to use your smartphone creatively.

Whenever I catch a person taking a selfie, I have to laugh. The faces I've seen are so bizarre and make any odd Salvador Dali portrait cower in shame. Become the entertainment! Make a competition between your friends or just yourself to see how many weird looks and laughs you can get with your pretend selfies. The weirder they are, the better.

5. Sleep.

Just don't doze off too long, you might miss your flight. However, taking 20-minute snoozes makes a difference when dealing with late-night flights or jet-lag. Just remember, if you snore, there might be a problem. No one appreciates sitting next to a human lawnmower.