Today I Learned Phone Anxiety Is a Thing

Today, I started work the way I usually do…I grabbed my magic bean juice, booted up my computer, turned on the switchboard and then I waited for the first customer to light up my line on the phone deck. While waiting, I sifted through my emails and replied to each one. There were only about seven, so it didn’t take long. But, it didn’t take long enough, either. Morning tasks take the edge off of waiting for that first call.

I have this itchy feeling when waiting for the first call of the day — it starts in my scalp, and then it travels down the back of my neck, then my spine and then turns into the grossest chill of anticipation ever felt in the history of the world. This feeling happens over and over again, until the phone rings. I guess you could say the first call of the day is a great (and much needed) ice-breaker; in this case, instead of it being a lead into a perfect series of events, it’s more like a “OK, got that one out of the way. Bring on the rest of the crazy goodness!” type of dealie. I’m just going to refer to this feeling as the “phone-jeebies.” Kinda like the heebie-jeebies, but from phones…yeah. (Hey, I’m no comedian!)

Luckily, this isn’t a feeling that sticks around for the entire workday, thank the fates. However, it pops up now and then, mostly on days where there are a lot of calls involving negative feedback. But, I bite through it and do my job…it’s what I am there for. That doesn’t mean that it’s alright to feel this way, though.

It is a feeling that I have in places other than work, too. It’s that bundle of tension in the shoulders or stomach when you see that you have an alert for a text message, or an e-mail that you’ve been waiting for; or when you get a handwritten letter in the mail, but you have this strong feeling that it is filled with bad news.

Super. Gross. Phone-jeebies.

Until now, I never even knew this was a thing. It’s called phone anxiety, and apparently I’ve had it at every job for about the past…millennia? That’s what it feels like at least!

If you or someone you know works in customer service, or in a position that involves frequent inbound calls, I send massive hugs and baskets of cookies out to you because for serious, not all heroes wear capes…ya dig?

Here’s how I try to beat the phone anxiety blues:

1. Cut back on caffeine.

On days where I’m way more emotional than usual (PMS, someone cuts in front me in line at the store, just having a bad day, whatever) I drink decaf instead of the fully fueled stuff, or tea. I also stretch at my desk and do breathing exercises. It helps to not have that extra kick, because if I have coffee, then I try too hard to be calm because I’m so excited about life thanks to caffeine, and then it’s just this endless cycle of, “Oh crap did I overreact? Was I rude? Ah hell I’m not doing this adulting-at-work-thing right,” thoughts and that isn’t good for anyone.

2. It’s just a phone call!

Remember that it is just a phone, and that the monster of face-eating rage (or the ticked off person on the other end) doesn’t exist and if it did, you could bring it down with a positive demeanor and awesome wit. I know it’s hard at first, but keep in mind that you are way bigger than the phone and you can overcome anything that is happening on the other end of it.

3. Practice talking.

Warm up by having a phone conversation with someone close to you. Practice makes perfect! If you feel the jitters, relax with an easy conversation for a few minutes. It’ll help speaking come more naturally and will boost your confidence if you’re worried about slumping over words.

4. Refer to useful phrases.

The phone is your stage and you are the star! There is nothing wrong with having a set of phrases nearby that’ll help you get through a conversation. Think of a few that you use to help reassure others, rehearse them and toss in hand gestures while you speak, if need be. I find that it’s helpful to do this wave thing with both hands to help redirect the tension in my body to some place other than my voice.

5. Smile.

Smile as you speak. It works wonders for adjusting the tone of your voice. Try it while speaking with a friend or family member, ask them if they can hear the change in your tone versus when you are not smiling while trying to speak. (It will feel goofy at first, but it helps!)

These are just the little steps I take to beat the phone-jeebies. Some others suggestions I have are to watch cat videos on Youtube before work, or a comedy special, or listen to calming music before the work day begins. At the end of the day though, it doesn’t seem so bad, and that’s all that we can really ask for, isn’t it?

How do you beat the phone-jeebies? Tell us in the comments.