In the modern world so connected by prompt communication, making phone calls is not a big deal. For some, talking on the phone is annoying when it is possible to send text messages. However, it’s yet another way to stay connected with your loved ones. Many individuals are struggling with phone anxiety – fear of talking to other people.
Whether it’s a matter of talking to strangers, making calls or picking up, meeting some tasks, or maintaining relationships, all can be affected by such kind of fear. Does your heart skip a beat when the phone rings? Millions of people experience sweaty palms and racing thoughts at the mere thought of picking up the phone. Read on to learn more about phone shyness, including its causes, signs, who experiences it, and ways to overcome it.
Impact of Phone Call Anxiety
Anxiety in the phone dating world is like a surprise pop quiz- unpredictable and nerve-wracking. It refers to the fear of answering or making phone calls and is very common among phone daters. It’s that jittery feeling that someone gets as soon as the phone rings and somehow you get puzzled to answer it.
There’s no doubt that nervousness, anxiety, or stress can occur to anyone at any stage of relationships in life. These are believed to be a normal experience that an individual can have. It could be questioning from a partner about the same feelings or wondering about the right time to take any new initiative.
It’s Impact in Dating Life
There are certainly ways that illustrate the impact of phone call anxiety in relationships. It can turn a potentially pleasant chat into a cringe-worthy disaster in no time. When someone is experiencing anxiety, they respond in two ways – either dependent or avoidance. Both can take a toll on how you communicate and interact with others.
Phone Anxiety Causes
Various reasons can cause phone nervousness. If you are not able to read the body language of others, there are chances that you feel self-conscious about your voice tone. Our voice is one of the means of communication to convey feelings to someone. There are numerous sources of phone anxiety. Following are some reasons why making phone calls can be intimidating for some individuals:
- Difficulty in Interpreting Verbal Cues
People depend on their capacity to read body language. Nonverbal cues in face-to-face meetings provide us with information about the intentions, sentiments, and motives of our partners’ viewpoints.
However, it can be confusing when chatting on the phone because you are unable to read nonverbal signs during phone talks. A lack of ability to discern nonverbal signs like tone and speed can make us feel uncomfortable and uneasy.
- There may be a Lot of Pressure
When you speak on the phone, keep in mind that there’s no delete option. Depending on the situation, you could feel overpowered and every statement carries a risk. There will indeed be less time for you to consider your responses. This will make the phone call feel tense.
- You Experience Judgment
Do you feel self-conscious about your ability to express your views or voice tone? If so, not being able to read the other person’s body language could make you feel awkward.
You might be concerned that the partner you are talking to is secretly evaluating everything you say. In such a case, insensitive answers could be seen as accusatory or defensive. This is true when you are unable to see the other person smiling or maintaining a neutral posture.
Thus, showing your listening skills is vital because when you ask your partner to repeat the same thing, he/she might feel about your disinterest in conversation.
Some Other Reasons
(a) Concerns about being misinterpreted or misheard
(b) Lack of presence of mind
(c) Doubts on one’s voice
(d) Lack of understanding to predict cues on the phone
In simple words, there’s no single cause for having phone call anxiety. It might be a frequent occurrence that can come in various ways.
Who Experiences Phone Anxiety?
According to many studies conducted in recent years, 81% of people experience fears as soon as the phone rings. For instance, 27-37-year-olds in the USA feel anxious during talking on the phone. There could be various reasons for this. In general:
- An adult individual who exhibits insecure attachment styles may be more susceptible to phone call anxiety than those who exhibit secure attachment patterns.
- People with social anxiety disorder might experience this kind of situation.
- This is not limited to people who keep talking romantically in the real world but experience shyness on the phone. This can be experienced by frequent phone daters who wish to connect with random strangers who live in nearby areas.
- People who have never tried connecting with other than their family and friends might struggle to talk with an unknown person.
Signs that Indicate You May be Dealing with Phone Anxiety
Even in the modern world, there are many people in different age groups who tend or avoid using phones. They feel the jitters of nervousness and many other prominent signs surface that states the person is experiencing difficulty at the moment.
Emotional Signs Includes
- Delay in making or answering phone calls
- Knowingly avoiding calls from others
- Worrying about conversation covered
Physical Signs Includes
- Shaking hands
- Nervousness
- Eyes Blinking
This kind of shyness or anxiety can affect a person’s life to a great extent that is hard to imagine. One may start losing their confidence level. This can affect adversely in different areas of an individual’s life. So, start taking phone anxiety seriously today and familiarize yourself with overcoming it.
Common Fears and Insecurities Around Phone Calls
=> Fear of Awkward Silence or Running Out of Things to Say
Ah, the worry about awkward silence – the graveyard of failed conversations. Will it be filled with nervous laughter, heavy breathing, or contemplating the meaning of life?
=> Insecurities About Tone of Voice or Communication Style
Insecurities about your tone of voice can lead to overthinking every word that comes out of your mouth. Are you too loud, too quiet, too robotic, or worse – too enthusiastic about your collection of novelty socks?
Ways to Face Your Fears and Embrace Calls
Some people wish to enjoy dating, talking, sharing, making friends, or even relationships with strangers and all on the phone. However, they might feel anxious when conversing on the call. Below are mentioned some of the strategies to cope with phone call anxiety:
1. Seek a Reliable and Helpful Person
Find a companion using chat line services who is willing to work on their healing process and who is understanding and supportive. This enables you to establish a secure environment in your bonding with the person. This way you can resolve this problem jointly.
2. Test Your Negative Feelings
When anxiety strikes, it is advised to challenge the unfavorable ideas and presumptions that cause your anxiety. Ask yourself if these ideas are supported by evidence, and take into account more realistic and balanced alternative viewpoints.
3. Stop Overthinking
If someone you called is not ready to talk to you at the moment, don’t assume all the reason behind it yourself. There could be many reasons that are not related to you. So, stop thinking out of the box about someone’s actions.
4. Setting Boundaries and Communication Preferences
(i) Establishing Comfortable Call Times and Durations
Setting boundaries around call times and durations can help alleviate the pressure of feeling like you’re stuck in phone call agony. Whether you prefer quick check-ins during your lunch break or late-night talks under the stars, communicate what works best for you.
(ii) Communicating Preferences for Texting or Voice Call
Prefer messaging over phone calls? It is suggested to communicate your preferences without any hesitation. Remember, whether you are dating or simply enjoying a casual chit-chat, it’s all about finding someone who respects your communication style.
5. Be Truthful with the Person You are Talking
Having an open and honest conversation with the person you communicating can improve your mutual understanding and support. Explain to them that your anxiety is not a reflection of their behavior or the quality of your relationship. Also, share your feelings and concerns with them.
6. Genuinely Identify the Anxiety Signs
It is imperative to find out things or circumstances that make you feel nervous. It could be anything and greatly varies from person to person. Finding your triggers and controlling your anxiety starts with knowing the symptoms of anxiety.
7. Bring Gentle Smile on Your Face
It is advised to people who feel anxious on the phone to bring a soft smile to their faces before making or taking phone calls. It may seem awkward, but doing this makes you feel at ease.
8. Engage in Positive Self-Talk
To overcome shyness when talking with someone on the phone, try to find out ways that can help in self-positive talks. This is a reflection of our perceptions of what you think of yourself and not others. Some of the ways are:
- Review your objectives for life
- Proactively give compliments to yourself
- Keep negative thoughts away and practice positive talks
- Improve your self-esteem level
9. Praise Yourself
To overcome this, it is suggested that individuals reward themselves by enjoying doing things that make them feel joyful.
10. Build Confidence in Phone Conversations
- Practice Active Listening and Empathetic Communication
When chatting on the phone, focus on being present and truly listening to what the other person is saying. Respond with empathy and show genuine interest in the conversation to build a connection.
- Develop Self-Confidence and Assertiveness Skills
Work on building your self-confidence by practicing confidence in your conversations. Express your thoughts and feelings openly while respecting the other person’s perspective. By respectfully asserting yourself, you can enhance your confidence in phone interactions.
11. Develop a Clear Sense of Who You Are
Developing a solid concept of self-awareness is essential to comprehending, negotiating, and eventually overcoming anxiety.
12. Call a Phone Chat Line Number
Finding someone who is reliable is safe when you try to connect with strangers on a phone call. If you have never stepped into the phone dating world, it’s the right time for you. Grab the benefits of most popular chat lines to find someone with whom you can talk freely. This is one of the best options to talk with random strangers. Connect freely with thousands of people on line and enhance your communication skills to talk on the phone. When you talk to strangers you are free from the feelings of being judged by them. There’s less pressure to talk by first thinking about your thoughts.
Don’t Give Up; Just Enjoy Phone Calls
Today there are more people in the world than you have ever imagined who experience phone anxiety. However, you mustn’t let this nervousness stop you from speaking with people. It’s a normal thing in relationships and dating, especially when you choose this mode of communication with others. Individuals may get over their fear during phone calls with effort and practice.
The first step is to understand your boundaries. Keep in mind that mastering the skills to overcome this kind of problem is a skill. All that matters is recognizing the areas that require improvement and working on them. Master the next phone call you have to make by carrying the above pointers with you. You’ll quickly become comfortable and confident when speaking on the phone if you adhere to advice and recognize genuine signs and reasons behind it.