Do I Have Phone Anxiety?
Do you avoid making or receiving phone calls? Do you obsess over what to say before making a call, or worry about being embarrassed? Do you let anxious thoughts run through your head when you pick up the phone? If you answered yes to any of these, you may be suffering from phone anxiety.
Phone anxiety, also known as telephobia or telephonophobia, is the fear of making or taking phone calls. Phone anxiety is often associated with the fear of being judged, rejected, or criticized and can fall under the umbrella of social anxiety.
Symptoms
People who suffer from phone anxiety can experience different symptoms, whether it is emotional or physical. Some of these symptoms are:
Delaying answering calls
Avoiding making calls
Obsessing over what to say
Worrying about being embarrassed
Worrying about bothering the person you are calling
Letting anxious thoughts overwhelm you
Some of the more physical symptoms may include:
Increased heart rate
Nausea
Shaking
Trouble concentrating
What Causes Phone Anxiety?
There are many factors, both internal and external, that can cause people to develop phone anxiety.
External Factors
An environment with high call volume
Rude people on the other end of the line
Internal Factors
Performance Anxiety
Up to 20% of Americans are affected by performance anxiety
Depression
It is estimated that ~9.5% of American adults are affected by a depressive illness
PTSD
~5% of adults in the U.S. are affected by PTSD in any given year
Being Introverted
Introverts make up ~25-40% of the population
Impact of Phone Anxiety in the Workplace
Many Americans have to interact via phone calls every day at their job. Many times this is the first impression given to a customer, client, or prospective business. Having a good first impression is extremely important in establishing a professional image and building a strong working relationship. 80% of Americans value speed, knowledge, friendly service, and convenience in a positive customer experience. Suffering from phone anxiety may affect your ability to meet the customer’s needs and in turn decrease customer satisfaction.
How can I overcome my phone anxiety?
If you are struggling with phone anxiety and looking for ways to cope with it, here are some tips that may be helpful.
Exposure/Practice
In the modern day of texting, you may feel anxious when talking on the phone. That doesn’t necessarily mean you have an anxiety disorder, but you may just be out of practice. Giving yourself extra exposure to phone calls may give you the practice you need to feel confident handling calls.
Preparation/Talking Points
Making a list of talking points and generally what you want to say, can help limit the amount of stress going into a phone call. You want to be prepared, but you don’t want to have a full phone call script. A full script can limit the personal connection and engagement between you and the client/customer on the other end, and decrease their satisfaction. Making a bulleted list of responses allows you to be prepared but still allowing you to think and respond to what the other person has to say.
Deep Breathing
Deep breathing has been proven to reduce stress and improve focus. Practicing deep breathing exercises before taking or making a phone call can help you collect yourself and prepare before you have someone on the other end of the line.
CBT or other forms of Therapy
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is a form of psychotherapy that is effective for a range of anxiety disorders and other problems. CBT involves identifying unhelpful or irrational thoughts and understanding them to practice systemic desensitization. A therapist can use CBT to help you identify where your phone anxiety stems from and how to change your thinking pattern to be more realistic and effective. Systemic desensitization can allow exposure to anxiety-provoking situations. Sustaining a phone conversation or hearing the phone ring while with a trained therapist can help desensitize you or another individual from feeling fearful of these situations and hopefully stop the feeling of anxiety when you’re in this situation on your own.
If you are looking to get help with your phone anxiety either through CBT or another form of Therapy, give us a call at 713-807-7518 and we can get you set up with one of our highly skilled counselors here at Therapy Center of Houston.
