Dealing with Anxiety of Making Important Adult Phone Calls

I hate sudden onsets of anxiety, I usually start taking short deep breath like you do when giving birth or I will go for a walk or sit in my backyard enjoying nature.

My anxiety has gotten so bad with phone calls! I'm a caregiver to my grandmother so all the calls I have to make for her I treat like a job so I have to do it. If it's a phone call for me or someone else I can't do it. I have my bf call on his phone and between his stutter and my panic attack we somehow get through. But he is always there for me and honestly doesn't mind talking on the phone.

I write down what I need to say in little bullet points and then just dial and go and remember that they aren’t thinking of it at all. If anything they’re worried about their own taking

🥺thank you all for sharing your stories and tips ❤️❤️ its so helpful. i had to make a phone call regarding income, and it was very nerve racking. but i got through it! i took some of your tips and applied it to my situation, and i will continue to use them. the phone call ended up going very smoothly because of it :) anyone who is struggling with this too, please know that we can always handle these phone calls. we just need to do them even if we dont think we can

I am so bad at this. I have to force myself. I notice I do feel better after the calls.

It depends, if it’s a scheduled phone call then I find scripting helps so that I can gather my words properly. If its not scheduled then I don’t answer because I feel as though someone should have asked permission first. I’m autistic and my other autistic friends taught me this. I don’t have to pressure myself to answer phone calls when they were consented to, I also make sure to let someone know that I throughly am uncomfortable with phone calls that interrupt my daily activities or interrupt me when I’m hyper focused.

I dissociate until the person says "hello" and then I HAVE to go through with it

i just end up sounding super unprofessional 🥲

Imagine the worst possible thing the other person might say to you. Then do it anyway; they won't say the mean thing and you'll feel better.

I like to pretend that Im an actor in a movie or show doing the call instead of myself.

when i need to make important calls every once in awhile, i can easily dissociate so i don’t get as nervous. i don’t rly know how i do it but i just rip the band aid off and just do it and start talking. i know it doesn’t work this way with everyone, but you can still try! like i know the advice “just do it” probably doesn’t sound at all helpful, but it really works!

Welll. Step one. Triple check I have the right number. Step 2. Write down a list of what I am going to say. Step 3. Review the conversation in my head 10 different ways to prepare myself for any outcome. Step 4. Panic. Step 5. Calm myself down. Step 6. Call and wait with bated breath hoping that no one picks up. Step 7. Start speaking. 😂 this is legit what my phone calls look like. And when someone calls me. Well. I can’t say I haven’t watched my phone go to voicemail. But I generally force myself to pick up. Calling is harder for me than answering because when I am calling I am the one who needs to keep the convo in control.

thank you guys. i really appreciate this lol, phone calls are not my strong suit but they need to be done. ❤️

Honestly for me I just try not to think about how it makes me feel. Then I push through it