Happiful – September 2019

5. Tell someone you trust. If you
   feel able to talk to others about
   your phone phobia, they may be
   able to help.


6. Tell yourself ‘these feelings
   will pass’. Using positive coping
   statements or affirmations can
   focus your mind and help you feel
   more in control.

Try these practical support

techniques...

Have an agenda. Write down

what you need to say – even write

a script if you want. But be aware

that using a script can cause more

anxiety if you feel you are not

following it, so bullet points are

probably a more useful tool.

Find a time when you are not

rushed, or are in a private place.

This can help, because if you feel

the dreaded call has gone wrong,

the number of people who may

have noticed is limited. It may

reassure you to know that other

people are not looking at you.

Practise. Speaking is a

‘performance skill’, so you

need to practise it to feel more

comfortable.

Once you’ve made that call, be
proud of your achievement. What
may seem ‘silly’, because others do
it easily, is still a big step for you.
Measure your success by your own
benchmarks – and consider how
Speaking is^ best to tackle the next call.

a ‘performance

skill’, so you need

to practise it to feel

more comfortable

Dr Audrey Tang is a chartered

psychologist, mindfulness expert,

TV psychologist, and author of ‘The

Leader’s Guide to Mindfulness’

(FT Publishing, £14.99)