How to get over phone anxiety?

How to get over phone anxiety: It is more effortless to avoid situations that cause anxiety than confront them, but the more extended you put it off, the worse the anxiety may become. Instead of telling yourself to get over it, there are various practical ways you can adopt that may be useful to help you overcome your phone anxiety. Here are some easy ways you can adopt to learn how to deal with phone anxiety.

How to get over phone anxiety:

Identify anxiety triggers

Keep a diary of what you were doing when anxiety hit and the severity of the anxiety. This helps you identify whether you feel more anxious when you are planning to make a call or when your phone rings. It indicates whether you feel nervous before picking up the phone, stressing about what you are going to say, or after the call ends, as to whether you said the right thing or made yourself clear. You may sense more nervousness about an incoming call than an outgoing one, and your diary can specify which calls trigger your anxiety.

Exercise

Relaxation or exercises can help reduce anxiety. Even 20 minutes of exercise can relieve tension. It also helps you to focus on the present moment rather than what may or may not happen next.

Focus on the bigger picture

Evaluate your situation from a different perspective. Ask yourself what advice you would give to a friend or colleague. Ask yourself if it matters to the other person that you mispronounced a word. This may help you to develop a plan to deal with your anxiety.

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Think logically

If you are worried that your call might disturb someone, reassure yourself that if they are too busy, they probably would not prefer to answer the phone call. And rather than worrying about what the other person may think of you, remember that they can not see you, either. An unknown person cannot see what you look like, what you are wearing, or your body language.

Plan a call

Preplan a call. If you are concerned that you may struggle over your words or forget what you were going to say, write a short conversation in advance. Read it audibly before making the call. When you are satisfied with it, make the call.

Confront your fear

The more you perform an activity, the less daunting it becomes. Try calling a local restaurant or dry cleaner and ask what time they close.

With proper practice, your confidence is likely to replace your anxiety. Make a to-do list of all the people you plan to speak to on the phone and make the first call. After the call, recognize your accomplishment and move on to the next.

Set goals

Start with little goals. One of the goals could be to stay on the phone for a more extended period than normal let us say for two minutes. Another goal could be to answer the phone within three rings. Gradually expand those goals.