How do you overcome Phone-phobia? (introvert, anxiety, people)
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Even as a shy introvert, I prefer face to face meetings 10x over talking to someone on the phone. In fact, I fear picking up the phone to call someone significantly more than giving a speech to a crowd! These fears don't apply to people I already know but calling someone I don't know raises quite a bit of fear.
A lot of the anxiety comes from feeling being put on the spot, not knowing what to say and frantically trying to come up with something, not seeing the person's facial expressions, etc.
Maybe texting would be easier? Then you could take your time for each reply.
And I have a friend in a similar situation. He asks me to make business related phone calls for him. Maybe you could ask someone else to make some calls for you?
And maybe some things could be handled by email? Or writing a letter?
Or tell people who call you that you prefer to talk in person. Ask if you can go see them?
I don't know, I hate calling. Especially for personal things.
Strangely at work, I've forced myself to do it and I'm fine with it. At work I know what to say, and I've talked to most people here in person so I know them.
Obviously I'm OK talking to friends and family, but anything else, I'd rather e-mail or talk face to face.
I hate waiting on the line, I hate the anticipation of dialing a number, I'm self conscious of if I am enunciating words correctly and/or if I'm breathing too heavy on the receiver. Plus the same concerns of not being able to read the other person and trying to think on the spot apply to me as well.
Even as a shy introvert, I prefer face to face meetings 10x over talking to someone on the phone. In fact, I fear picking up the phone to call someone significantly more than giving a speech to a crowd! These fears don't apply to people I already know but calling someone I don't know raises quite a bit of fear.
A lot of the anxiety comes from feeling being put on the spot, not knowing what to say and frantically trying to come up with something, not seeing the person's facial expressions, etc.
I understand your '' phobia ''. The trick I would give you : Try laying back on your bed when you call someone. It will help you relax. Talk very, very slowly. TAKE YOUR TIME! Its the trick. When you try to talk too fast and find something smart to say all the time you will run out dry very quickly. So relax, lay down on your bed and be smooth.
For the not knowing what to say part really I don't know what to say. If you apply the relaxing and smooth thing I am pretty sure this will go away by itself.
I don't know, I hate calling. Especially for personal things.
I hate waiting on the line, I hate the anticipation of dialing a number, I'm self conscious of if I am enunciating words correctly and/or if I'm breathing too heavy on the receiver. Plus the same concerns of not being able to read the other person and trying to think on the spot apply to me as well.
Write out beforehand, word for word what you are going to say, and even which words you're stressing in the sentence. Write one version to use if you've actually reached the person, and another version to use on their voicemail, and then read off exactly what you've written. List a few topics of small talk to bring up, including anything interesting you've recently been doing, or asking what the other person has been doing.
With phone anxiety can't you always escape from the situation by hanging up and later blaming it on bad service/connection?
With my flying fears it's much harder to escape from a plane once it's in the air
When you depend on the phone to get in touch with clients and/or when you need to do phone interviews to switch jobs, blaming the bad service or connection doesn't exactly put you in the best light or even sound professional.
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