Tips for making a phonecall.

Making a phonecall can be really hard. It can be difficult to press the ‘call’ button and then, afterwards, really difficult to know what to say. We can end up stumbling over our words and mixing them up, and then we might end up hanging up in a panic or getting frustrated, or just avoiding phonecalls altogether.

Here are some tips that I thought might help - they helped me anyway:

• Before you make the call write down what you want to say or who you will ask to speak to. This can be in bullet points or as a script, depending on how confident you’re feeling. If you want to write “hello, would it be possible to speak to X?” write that, even if it seems pedantic. It might stop you panicking if you forget your words once the phonecall has started.

• Think about what you want to get out of the phonecall - do you need support? Do you need to ring to change bank details/college course? Write that down so that you can jog your memory if it goes blank.

• Make sure you are somewhere you feel okay. Don’t make the phonecall with music in the background or with other people talking or it might distract you. If it helps to sit down, do that. If it helps to walk around/pace, do that. I tend to pace around my bedroom when making a phonecall and I have found that helps.

• Dial the number into your phone. Don’t wait too long before you hit the ‘call’ button because the anticipation can sometimes be worse than the call itself, and you might end up worrying yourself out of it. If it helps, countdown from 10 and then click ‘call’.

• It can help to have the phone on speakerphone. I know that if I’ve shut my bedroom door and I’m asking for support, it helps me to put it on speaker because that feels less intense than having the person right in my ear, and I can get some space from them and feel less panicked.

• Put your point across as calmly as you can and just focus upon what you are reading/saying. You might not be perfect and you might feel awkward but the person on the other end of the line is human too and it’s okay. If worst comes to worst, you might not ever meet this person and if you do, it’ll only be for a few minutes.

• Remember that the phonecall will only be a few minutes long and try to focus upon how relieved you’ll feel after it’s done. Perhaps plan something nice for yourself such as some time reading or a cup of tea, to look forward to after you’ve made the phonecall.

Hope that helps and take care <3