As people age, surgical procedures are often required in order to improve quality of life. Surgical wait times can be considerably long for certain procedures such as orthopaedic surgeries and back surgery. Long wait times for surgery have been associated with increased anxiety, increased pain, decreased functioning, and a reduced quality of life. The researcher in the present study sought to examine anxiety associated with waiting for surgery and to determine whether providing strategies to improve emotional functioning during the wait could decrease anxiety. To accomplish this goal, participants who were waiting for surgery were randomly divided into two groups: one group received a general information booklet containing basic information on what can be done while waiting for surgery (n = 14) and the other received the general information booklet as well as a self-help booklet containing strategies that could be used to decrease stress during the wait (n = 17). Participants were given measures assessing their level of general and specific (i.e., health-related, fear of fear) anxiety, depression, pain, and coping strategies at initial assessment and six-weeks after. No effect of booklet was found on scores on the measures. On average, participants were not particularly anxious, health anxious, anxiety sensitive, or depressed although many participants experienced elevated scores on these measures. Health anxiety and anxiety sensitivity predicted each other and were both predicted by emotional preoccupation. Participants scored highest on instrumental coping methods, indicating that they were actively trying to better their situations. Half of participants indicated being very concerned about waiting for surgery but this concern decreased over time. The most commonly identified concern regarding waiting for surgery was with restrictions placed on activities. The most commonly identified source of anxiety about the surgery itself was the risks and complications involved. Participants gave valuable feedback on what they would find useful while waiting for surgery and this information should be used to guide the refinement of the self-help materials used in this study. Study implications, limitations, and future directions are discussed.