I’m a zillennial, so I’m not spared from phone anxiety<\/a>, even though I basically talk to people as a job. I once got a spontaneous call<\/a> from someone I had sent an email to, and I panicked so much that I forgot my own name when I picked up.<\/p>\n To my dread, friends tasked me with calling a popular local Haitian restaurant to make a reservation for this weekend. After putting off that undesired task all morning, I decided to turn to the internet for help.<\/p>\n Many apps that can help with phone anxiety are designed for meditation and managing work-related stress, while others suggest more actionable methods. I spent the afternoon trying three popular apps for people who fear calls \u2014 and only one helped me hit the digits.<\/p>\n Calm<\/p>\n Calm feels like a traditional meditation guide app, with a handful of free audio meditation experiences.\u00a0<\/p>\n Screenshot<\/p>\n Calm feels like a traditional meditation guide app. Most of its audio experiences remain behind a paywall, but there are a small handful of free ones.<\/p>\n For the task at hand, I chose the “For Work” mode and opted for a six-minute “reducing work anxiety<\/a>” routine.<\/p>\n The audio began with the sound of water and a voice asking me to get into a comfortable position, so I lay down on my carpet as instructed and closed my eyes.<\/p>\n The session then moved on to a yoga-like meditation<\/a> breathing exercise, and to “bringing attention to the body.” By the end of the audio, I managed to relax my shoulders and arms and let go of my somewhat clenched jaw from thinking and focusing.<\/p>\n It was all pretty relaxing, but it left me sleepy rather than prompting action. I moved on without calling the restaurant.<\/p>\n MindShift CBT<\/p>\n MindShift CBT aims to change behaviors through flowcharts and written action plans.\u00a0<\/p>\n screenshot<\/p>\n If you have ever filled out elaborate, pastel-colored flow charts in your high school health class, that is what MindShift <\/strong>CBT feels like.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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