Phone Anxiety

The idea for this post popped into my head a few days ago and thought I would just run with it. I've been wanting to do different things for posts; something more different, creative and personal. So to start off I thought I would write about phone anxiety which is a very real thing and something that I've been particularly dealing with lately.

I've never really been a big fan of talking on the phone. The prospect of not knowing who is on the other end is a big thing for me, and it doesn't help with all the movies about a creepy killer on the phone. I just can't. Nowadays you see the person who is calling you, however, I still freak out when a number pops up which is not good when you're applying for jobs. And of course whenever anyone calls me I usually jump to the conclusion of it being bad news cause my family and friends usually communicate via text and messenger. However, when one of my family calls me I'm absolutely fine in answering the phone.

Last week I got a call back about a job I applied for. I freaked out and pretty much panicked about the thought of calling back. I thought it was a phone call about setting up an in person interview but unfortunately, it was a phone interview. It did not go well. I'm not that good at face to face social interaction which means on the phone it's disastrous. In a job interview situation, I prefer an in person interview much more. I'm able to pick up on social cues (somewhat) and I just like being able to see the person I'm talking to. After the interview, they said I would get a call back the next week (this week). There's been no call and I'm not surprised.

Another thing which I've been pushing back because of this is making an appointment I really should have made ages ago. I try to psyche myself up to do it but my head comes up with all these excuses which makes me feel at ease at not doing it and thinking I'll do it at this date. It never works. Another thing I hate doing is asking people for pretty much anything. At uni, I cringed at the prospect of emailing my lecturer or supervisor a question. I was always nervous about the answer, whatever it was. So like asking someone to do it for me is worse than actually doing it, I think. 

I'm also the type of person who overthinks conversations. So in trying to psyche myself up to make an appointment, I think through what I will say, the routes the conversation might go. Nine times out of ten in conversations I end up not saying anything at all or I just stutter my words and wish I never said anything.

Anxiety makes me a mess. 

Do you struggle with phone anxiety?

Ashley xx