It’s Not Just Making a Phone Call

On the surface it sounds simple enough. Just pick up the phone and do it. But it’s so much more complicated than that.

First, I need a script. I have a tendency to freeze when I panic, or forget everything as soon as the other person says “hello”. So I will practice what I need to say for a bit. Sometimes I make notes, or set out the papers with the necessary information.

That all takes energy. So I have to assess my energy level and the importance of getting the call done. If I’m low on energy and the call can wait, it waits. If it can’t wait, I have to build up my courage and pep myself up. If I have energy then I just attack it.

Now, I’ve spent energy prepping for the call. I’ve spent energy making the call. So I also need time to recover from the call. So, before I can even get to script writing, I need to figure out if I have the appropriate recovery time. If I don’t, the call waits.

All of this runs through my head the second I know I have to make a call. So I am then going over my schedule trying to find the spot that works best and talking myself into making that phone call every day leading up to it. Even that fails sometimes and I am left battling the guilt of putting it off for another week. Which, you’ve guessed it, takes energy.

I’m tired just writing about it. And maybe also from that phone call I tried last week and finally accomplished this morning. That’s one thing I’ve learned. Calls must be made between 8am and 10am, or in that short window between getting home from work and the kids getting home from school for the best results. I have also been getting better at making some calls between appointments at work. Getting them done and off my back is amazing for my anxiety! And, I finally made another phone call that took me three months to do a couple days ago. Time for some coffee, knitting, and relaxing.