How to cope with these dreadful phone calls...

As a broker, I have always been inundated with phone calls. The volume of phone calls used to not bother me as much the first few years in this industry, but now when I hear the phone ring, I just squirm. It's similar to the anticipation of something painful is about to come, like waiting for that needle to touch your skin at the doctor's office. In fact, I am so sick and tired of phone calls I hardly talk to friends on the phone anymore. I sure as hell don't answer the land line at home.

I feel sorry for those who work at customer service call centers who have to answer the phone all day long!

There is a little trick for dealing with this anxiety. If the phone call is from somebody you hate talking to, or if it's about something very unpleasant, I have here a little coping strategy:

Put that person on hold, step away from your desk, either to the bathroom or wherever there is good sound insulation from your colleagues, and let out a big, uninhibited scream!. This doesn't have to be a long scream, or even a loud one, but just scream and don't think about it.

"Arrrrrrrraaaaagh!"

Proceed back to your desk and answer the phone. I swear, you will be a lot less tense.

I think screaming allows you to breath, because you have to take a deep breath in order to scream your heart out, at the same time you are literally vocalizing your frustration, dislike, or even hatred, of whatever is bothering you about the person holding on the phone.

I think I scared the shit out of my coworkers today, but after the scream I was much nicer to my customer. So I encouraged my coworkers and everyone else to do the same.