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Phone Calls

Expecto_Patronum

How do people manage making phone calls. It's something that I absolutely hate. But I have one I need to make and have been putting off for a while. I'm finding this phone call more difficult because I don't know what the actually procedure is. My work have recommended getting some vaccine boosters. I've no idea whether my GP surgery will even do it for me. I might have to pay. I'm really unsure. So I can't get a script right in my head (not that I ever manage to actually follow my scripts). I know that when they answer I will go erm well erm for a while and then do a terrible job of explaining and this is putting an absolute mental block on making the call. How do you guys manage situations like this?

Parents

  • Used to be impossible when I was in my teens and twenties. I could use it to talk to someone I knew, but otherwise I would avoid the phone or get someone else to call.

    Then I spent over 20 years in cellular and had to talk to people for hours every day on a phone.

    Familiarity makes it easier.

    I still have the tightness in my chest if I need to call someone new, but I generally know what I am going to ask for.

    Just start with hello, I'm calling to arrange some vaccine boosters. Then they'll ask you which ones, so you need to know that bit.

    Then you just ask what's the procedure, and they'll explain, assuming they don't just run you through it anyway.

    You just need to know how to start.

    I used to stammer badly when young when I was nervous,then I would sweat loads. I actually forgot how stressful it was.

  • in reply to Stuart333

    Most calls I can manage now but I still get the anxiety over it. But there's certain ones like this that completely throw me. I think it's because it's couple with uncertainty.

  • in reply to Expecto_Patronum

    Another way to handle these is to just pickup the phone immediately, before you have time to build it up in your mind and just muddle through.

    The sooner you start the sooner it's over.

  • in reply to Stuart333
    Stuart333 said:
    Another way to handle these is to just pickup the phone immediately, before you have time to build it up in your mind and just muddle through

    That was the approach that worked best for me.

    I would allow 30 seconds to write bullet points for what I needed from the call and then just make it - don't allow time for stress to build by anticipating it when the call itself can be stressful enough.

    The bullet points help me keep the conversation on track and I have to check them off before finishing the call so it helps me focus on the details rather than the conversation issues.

Reply
  • in reply to Stuart333
    Stuart333 said:
    Another way to handle these is to just pickup the phone immediately, before you have time to build it up in your mind and just muddle through

    That was the approach that worked best for me.

    I would allow 30 seconds to write bullet points for what I needed from the call and then just make it - don't allow time for stress to build by anticipating it when the call itself can be stressful enough.

    The bullet points help me keep the conversation on track and I have to check them off before finishing the call so it helps me focus on the details rather than the conversation issues.

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