Curious to hear what strangers online would think about modifications to their work schedule, Redditor LanaDelCoochie asked:
"Do you believe in the 4 day work week? Why or why not?"
People mentioned how poor time management was more problematic.
Marking Time
"Some jobs are literally waiting for something to happen."
– Leeiteee
Working Efficiently
"I don’t mind working if I’m busy, but sitting somewhere staring at a clock waiting for the time when I’m ‘allowed’ to leave drives me crazy. If there’s nothing for me to do, let me go home. You’re just wasting my time and your money."
– uglyuglydog
Slow Shift
"I'm food service, my first store was so slow I only needed 2 people in the afternoon. I intentionally worked 11-2 then 5-11 just so I didn't have to twiddle my thumbs and clean already clean things for 3 hours each day."
– BlueNinjaTiger
Stress Of Killing Time
"My current job (the contract for which expires next Friday, but is up for negotiation tomorrow) is 15-20h WFH at my convenience. I wake up at 3am, log in, and work until everyone else in my house gets up- usually, 7. If I need to add some hours, I log in again while my toddler is at preschool."
"A few years ago, when I worked for this same company, I was tied to a desk in a poorly-renovated school building and very frequently had nothing to do. I cannot tell you how many books I read during my days at my desk in the summer with nothing to do. I browsed Reddit a fair amount, sure, but it was easier to leave a Kindle window open just a sliver next to an Excel spreadsheet to look busy. I re-read a few of my favorites; I read many new things."
"But it was so maddeningly frustrating to be stuck inside at work with literally nothing to do, waiting for anything to come to my inbox!!"
– WomanOfEld
People discuss the pros and cons of working remotely.
Benefits Of Working From Home
'If there’s nothing for me to do, let me go home.'
"Which is one of the reasons I've liked working from home since Covid started. If things are slow and I don't have anything to do, I can relax for a bit and wait for stuff to pick up."
– Surax
Being Productive While At Home
"100%. I'm newish at my current job, so I try to be in the office as much as I can. But if it's a slow week and I already foresee my Thursday/Friday being slow- I'm staying home. I'm still doing what I have to do, but I can simultaneously do other things like read or watch something without feeling guilty, do some laundry, hang with my dog, etc. After my first full year I will most likely be normalizing this to be my Friday each week at the very least."
"On the other side of the spectrum, my last job was fully remote and I was a little too bored and also didn't push to do anything beyond my basic responsibilities, so that was very unhealthy. It's good to be at least moderately productive and accept a new challenge every now and again. I basically did nothing for 2 straight years."
– daveblu92
It's A Preference
"I totally get why people love it, but I am so unproductive at home it‘s crazy. Tried nearly every trick in the book, but when it comes down to it just going to somewhere else for work does the trick for me."
"I think working from home is a nice tool, but it certainly isn‘t a solution for everyone. And even working from home a 4 day week makes a big difference."
– Ulldra
Not For Everybody
"For me, I am discovering the reason for my unproductivity is lack of interest in the work. Like, if I go into the office then I feel I have to make it worth it by getting the work done. If I am working from home though... I feel so unproductive because I just don't care. Like I could get the work done easier while nobody is interrupting but instead I interrupt myself."
"I've got one more week in the current job then I start a new one where I actually feel interested in what I will be doing there. Who knows how long that will last for but it just feels more like something I'd like to think about than twiddling my thumbs."
"Not the case for everybody but something to consider."
– Libriomancer
The limited work schedule seemed to please a good majority of people.
The Popular Opinion
"You might be surprised. I work with a lot of folks who still do the five-day work week, but all of them have been incredibly respectful and accommodating of our 4-day week. They ask me to schedule a meeting or call on a Friday, I reply with 'I don't work on Fridays, what other options work for you?' and they invariably give me other options without batting an eye. And frequently say 'I wish we were on a 4-day week, too.'"
– Mehitabel9
The Thing About Fridays
"It’s because even people who 'work on friday' don’t really work on Friday. Especially if your office has a WFH policy, 90% of the company will be from home on a Friday. And 95% of that group is signing off at 1pm, and breezing through their morning/just shaking their mouse. Just watch peoples skype statuses on Fridays lol."
"And even before Covid when I had to go into the office on Friday, it was well recognized that Fridays were for chilling. You don’t schedule a 3pm friday meeting."
– Count_Rostov_
Worker Burnout
"Yes worker burn out is real."
"So much work in offices is just created to fill time, make things more efficient, pay people the same, get the same amount done with happier workers."
– lemons_of_doubt
Opinions varied across the board since different jobs come with specific demands.
But the overall complaint had to do with the mismanaging of time, with many arguing if there was no further work to be done at an office, employees should be sent home.
Conversely, even a handful of those who worked remotely had the itch to be in a less distracting environment.
Personally, I'd rather be working from home than inside a cubicle at a job location–even though the latter may be more conducive to work efficiency.
What are your thoughts?
Curious to hear examples of this, Redditor -Z-3-R-0- asked:
"What bullsh*t are you just tired of?"
The way we interact gets dissected here.
Respect
"Grown adults who don’t want or flat out refuse to act like decent humans. Being a**holes to each other over petty things and then being proud of it for moral superiority and/or internet points."
– bubblegumbreeze
Social Media
"I am tired of people constantly being on their phones, especially when you're trying to talk to them. Tiktok will wait. If you could just do me a solid and return my conversation, I would appreciate it. Your Instagram isn't going to suddenly have something new on it just because you keep refreshing it."
– somethingnotbasic
People don't have patience for others who don't take responsibility.
Tired Excuse
"I'm tired of how f'king obsessed everyone is with categorizing everything and viewing the world through this simplified lens where everything fits an archetype and it's always both okay and accurate to generalize. It's so pathetic and I'm sick of people making excuses for their delusions by saying sh*t like 'this is just how humans are.'"
– gigaLion
It's A Bad Sign
"people blaming their bad traits on their zodiac signs because they don’t want accountability."
"'sorry it’s because i’m a capricorn!' no, emily, you’re just a b*tch."
– thatonedik3
Redditors discussed the different perceptions and personality types.
Entitled
"Entitled customers who think just because 'they've shopped here for YEARS' that means they're entitled to discounts/free stuff and repeatedly treat us like crap."
"I always say we have to bring back (what I refer to as) the 'no bullsh*t policy' because that's the only way you're going to get these entitled people to STOP. You can't give them what they want."
– Dragon_Queen1997
Underestimating
"People mistaking my kindness for weakness. I'm a friendly and intelligent blonde, but I will go Jersey on your a** in less than 60 seconds. I feel like prey 😔"
– wolfielover22
Age Is Just A Number
"People that are older than you thinking they are right just because they are older."
– _MrNobody___
Our day to day dealings involve a variety of headaches.
Healthcare
"Paying health insurance and then still paying for medical care because insurance is a scam."
– wagneran
So Unclean
"Pollution. Trash everywhere in cities."
– EdgeMiserable4381
Affordable Living
"This housing market."
– koa-the-pomsky
"My credit is f'ked because I couldn’t pay all my bills on time at this cabin I lived at in a trailer park. No doors for the one bedroom, no bathroom door, a gaping hole in the floor that squirrels would come up through, and rent was $425 a month."
– WhAtDoEsThIsMeMeMaTe
Forced Slumber
"My body refusing to sleep unless I drug myself."
– CaptainNapal545
There is an art to having a conversation, but it shouldn't be that difficult not to be rude.
I can't stand it when people don't have enough social graces to recognize they've been leading the conversation the whole time, not letting an opportunity for anyone else to weigh in on a discussion.
There's nothing worse than having a conversation move on to another topic when you've been waiting to share your thoughts, ten talking points ago.
Thanks a lot for giving me conversational blue balls.
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Having fear. Men are trained to be fearless. But we have fear. A lot, and it sucks.
Be Kind
Not Going Anywhere Tell Me GIF by grown-ishGiphy"If you ask us to share our emotions and thoughts, don't ridicule us after we shared them with you."
Neil_Merathyr
'creepy'
"Being a loving father is not 'creepy.' I have an 11 year old boy, an 8 y/o boy and a 4 y/o daughter. I've gotten really weird looks giving my kids kisses on the cheek in public. My oldest son got the worst of it because he was my first kiddo. I constantly gave him hugs and kisses as a baby because my dad couldn't even be bothered to tell me he loved me."
"So I vowed to be a loving sweet father, unlike mine. There are days we go to the store and I'll snuggle into my daughter's neck and tell her how much I love her. I still call her "princess" to this day. Every now and then I get weird looks. It hurts because it was so common for my dad to walk 5 yards ahead of me in a store and not care, but I care. So I love my kids. And to some people this is some how weird."
Lelio-Santero579
I'm Listening
"Mental health, domestic abuse, showing emotions, body image... I could go on. What I do to help my partners is be completely open about my problems and allow them to do the same. I let them talk. I listen. And when the conversations come to an end, we work on it. Want counseling? We can do it together. Want to lose weight? Let's go on a diet. However they want to deal with their problems is alright by me so long as it isn't self-destructive. I think we should be supportive."
PibbyChullz
Be A Man
"When you ask us to express our feelings, you need to let express our actual feelings and not just the feelings you want us to express. This also needs to be entirely free of judgement or punishment. As men, we're constantly told we need to express our feelings more. But all too often, if we express anything other than strength we are judged, quite harshly, as being weak, selfish, unattractive, and less of a man."
r0botdevil
Raising Kids
michael keaton GIF by MauditGiphy"Main ones for me are the inability to properly be a parent in public with out being judged and things like use PARENTING rooms to change a nappy or whatever which are unisex without being looked at as some creep (my friend once actually had the mall security called in him by a lady claiming there was a man in the women's toilets) or me being by myself with my own kids automatically makes me some sort of criminal especially if the kid throws a tantrum at a mall and it’s crying, screaming etc."
"And I could be trying to put them back in their pram with them screaming and random women would be giving me dagger eyes. Where if my wife has a shouting screaming kid other women just give her a kind understanding smile and walk along… if women can cut down on that sorta judgemental stuff it would be great… I know this isn’t the case every time you go out in public but just having it happen a few times always leaves it in the back of your mind."
katofan1
Interesting truths being thrown out here. Society really does judge first, even after all of out "progress."
Talk to Me Too...
fathers day dad GIF by Disney PixarGiphy"Being a father is weird. I get worried looks from women walking through Walmart with my arm around my daughter. Or if my wife and I are together and someone asks anything about our kids, like where they go to school or their age or birthday, it's always directed at my wife as if I don't know anything about my own kids."
mrselfdestruct066
Lessons Ignored
"I didn't learn my lesson the first time. I've tried opening up repeatedly to try to discuss my mental health issues and just general life problems with family and friends, even a couple doctors. No one wants to hear about that, so now I just bottle it all up like a "real man" and pretend like I can ignore the pain and loneliness. I think I would have been better off to have not tried to begin with."
delocx
Raised by a therapist
"I'm a dude and was raised by a therapist. So, I have absolutely no problem talking about my feelings, inner truth, being vulnerable and so on. Nonetheless, as an adult I've found that the world is not at all ready for men who talk about their feelings. All of the people who depend on me overreact every time I project anything but strength."
"It puts me in an ironic position where I almost need a double life: one full of people whom I love and support but with whom I don't share my feelings; another full of people whom I don't love and support but with whom I can share my feelings. Or, I can choose the third route: swallow it all and live a life of quiet desperation."
"And statistics show men are far more likely to be socially isolated, turn to substance abuse, prostitution, and suicide? No kidding. If society wants men to live fuller lives, we need to not only encourage men to be more open with their feelings, we need to also remind society that they play a role in making that possible for men."
wutx2
Be Open
"I had been dating a girl for a few months when I opened up to her about the trauma of a childhood friend of mine dying in a horrific accident while we were in school. I ended up crying, because she was literally the first person in a decade I had opened up to about that. "
"She responded with so much love, support, and positivity that I was just blown away. 13 years later, we’ve been married for 6 years and just had our first kid, and I knew from that night that she was the kind of person I could build a life with."
WaluigiIsTheRealHero
"soft"
Sad Lonely GIF by PokémonGiphy"My dad yelled at me for crying at my grandpa's funeral because my grandpa wouldn't approve. Any sign of weakness in sports or anything he gets upset with me for looking 'soft,' but he tells me he loves me everyday and gives hugs and stuff so it's confusing."
Waffle-Azul
"nobody listens"
"Mental health for men is a big one. Society is slowly starting to get better with this, but it's a very slow burn. We're constantly under the weight of demands and expectations, and then get made fun of when we say something about it. A really good example, look at Will Smith."
"The man sat down and listened to his wife talk about an affair, cried on live tv, and he became a meme because of it. There was a trend on TikTok asking men why they don't speak up, and every single response was along the lines of 'nobody listens.'"
November_Dawn_11
Yeah, don’t do that...
"Judging them for Being Honest. Nothing is worse than when you open up to your S/O about a struggle you’re having and then later they throw that in your face as a weakness. Yeah, don’t do that."
ThinkForYourselph
"You should never be made to feel guilty/weak to be honest and open with your significant other. If they throw your personal struggles in your face as a weakness, throw them out of your life, because you deserve better, king."
thepariah4231
Be Open
"Being vocal about mental health and feelings. I’ve found myself sweeping it under the rug a lot and sucking it up. I’m tired and exhausted but I have to keep going."
MemelordPetey
"I try to be happy but I have so much rage built up in me that it sometimes get exhausting to simply be."
"I was never allowed an outlet for my sadness or anger so I've been bottling everything up for 26 years and now I don't know what anger feels like. I no longer feel anger cuz I skip over into rage. It's like arming a landmine over and over again and then wondering why it explodes when people jump on it as if landmines have never done that before."
Zack_WithaK
Size Issues
Kyle Mooney Snl GIF by Saturday Night LiveGiphy"Emphasis on penis size and height. I think it affects a lot of young men in a negative way, makes them feel inadequate."
1980pzx
Male Honor
"I’m currently pregnant and haven't been keeping food down for three weeks, I’m starving and the level of nausea has surpassed the unbearable. My body and mind are at an extreme low. My husband has gotten anything I can fathom to try and help."
"He Fetches me anything, has taken over all house duties and is worried out of his mind. He also started a new job last week. I will get all the sympathy in the world and he will not. just because my struggle is greater does not make someone else’s struggle any less difficult."
"Even he refuses to acknowledge any hardship. He’s programmed with the type of male honor that makes his feelings invisible. I think the best thing anyone can do is take a moment to think from another perspective and open a Discussion like this."
W4lkingDis4ster
#MenToo
"Men can get postpartum depression. But they aren't screened for it; only mothers are (in our experience in the US). My husband suffered from it after we had our first child. They screened me, the mom, for it in the hospital, at my follow-up OBGYN appointments, and at our baby's pediatrician appointments. My husband was there for all of those except the OBGYN. Nobody ever even asked how he was feeling."
DenversTrain
"sensitive."
"As a kid, I was shamed by my mother and sister for being 'sensitive.' Aka, anytime they upset me or I was upset, it was unmanly to show my emotions. As a boyfriend, I was sometimes expected to handle both of our emotional stresses. Perhaps this one isn't as gendered, but it happens to people in relationships."
"As a husband, I have actual expectations and responsibilities to consistently provide for my household, emotionally and financially. This is also not a gendered thing, but it definitely is common. I think for most men out there, we've been taught to hide our emotions, and get put in emotionally tough situations. There's a lot of solutions, but understanding is always the foundation towards an answer."
streetsurfer789
"thank you for the meal"
"I came to a realization the other day. It really isn't anyone's fault but I realized that no one has ever in my family thanked my dad for earning the living for our family. I live in a more traditional house and my mom is a stay at home mom and we were always taught too tell her 'thank you for the meal' and thanks for everything you do and all that stuff. Thats great and all but we never once said, thanks for the job you do dad which is very intensive and stressful."
"He never once has complained about his job for all my life. I realized this about 2 months ago and I decided to thank him for all that he does. He didn't exactly know how to answer the compliment cause it was new too him but I could tell it made a difference. Not so much a 'this hurts men and women need to fix it!!!' post but still important to bear in mind nonetheless."
Vast_Statement_7761
innuendo...
"Just because I'm a man doesn't mean I'm dangerous, or angry all the time. I took my son to the ER for a broken leg years ago, and got the third degree from EVERY person that came in and examined or worked with him. The innuendo about his injury being due to me was palpable, yet they never came out and straight accused me of it. It caused additional stress that wasn't needed, and embarrassed me to no end."
TheMrDetty
I'll Wait
John Goodman Reaction GIF by ABC NetworkGiphy"Name a family-related sitcom in the last 25 years that doesn't show the Dad/male lead as clueless, well-meaning, but mostly incompetent, with a wise-cracking wife/mom/female lead who is always exasperated by the ineptitude of the guy she loves. Go ahead. I'll wait."
slice_of_pi
Keep reading. Keep talking. Keep sharing. Real men admit they can't handle it all.
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Note, I said "us" - I'm right here with you, fam. Yes the phone call is easier and often cheaper than downloading the app, paying a processing fee and a delivery fee, and then tipping the driver - but is paying an extra $7 for pizza really SO bad?
Yes. The answer is yes. Over time that adds up and that means I have less money, which means less pizza!
Reddit user mildmusings asked:
"Have you experienced phone anxiety, where you get extremely nervous and embarrassed when answering/making a phone call, even when its something as simple as ordering a pizza? If so, how do you deal with it?"
Reddit, as always, came through with some helpful and not so helpful advice.
My major takeaway from all of this is that pizza is the main motivator for LOTS of people to get past this. That makes me feel so much better about myself.
Hesitation Makes It Weird
music video phone GIFGiphy"100%. I just have to pick up the phone and call."
"The longer I think about it directly corresponds to how much weird sh*t comes out of my mouth. By just calling or just answering with no thought about it I’m able to be myself at the least."
- On_theMind
"Yes! And when someone calls just pick up right away."
"It's tempting to mute it and say you'll call back later but the anxiety will just grow. Just answer the phone and get it over with, before you start constructing a weird script in your head."
- nattykat47
"Same. It’s always the anticipation, allowing myself to think of everything that could go wrong, making up scenarios in my head, that makes it difficult."
"Just need to pick up, dial, be relaxed and take it as it comes."
"I try to tell myself that there’s absolutely no need to be prepared for every eventuality or to rehearse responses to every possible question, but I always work myself up anyway."
- ManInTheMudhills
Pizza Is The Answer
I Love You Reaction GIFGiphy"I went the exposure therapy route and took a job answering phones at a pizza place."
"Once I realized I was kinda playing a character (pizza phone guy) and could hide behind that I was fine and that spilled over to other calls."
- bread-in-captivity
"Same for me!"
"Super introverted 16 year old me eventually got over answering calls by working in the pizza shop and taking calls. Still hate making calls to people that aren't expecting me though."
- LunaGuardian
"I was made by my parents to order some pizza to collect, but I was talking too quickly that one of the pizzas was the totally wrong one, so my mom needed to wait for the right pizza."
"Maybe try talking to strangers more often. Because most of the time isn't it the phone call itself that is scary, but knowing that you are talking to someone you dont know."
- FeriaStar
Scripting Success
Laverne Cox Abc GIF by EmmysGiphy"Oh my dude - I got you. LET ME TELL YOU A THING."
"I will literally write down a short script. I'll have my phone number, my address if needed, DOB stuff for me and my kids, health care numbers... all that stuff written down or close to hand."
"I'll have notes, questions I need to ask, etc. If I'm particularly upset about something I'll even write down my greeting and key phrases. I'll rehearse if I need to."
"I have been doing this since I was a kid. My mum made fun of me for it once (I had to call in to a radio station to post an ad and I even wrote down my "ums" because I was so nervous about how to sound) and I thought for yeeeears that I was just dumb and the LAMEST."
"Fast forward to age 36."
"I have debilitating anxiety, ADD, genuine auditory processing issues, and possible ASD."
"I don't f*cking worry about whether it's lame anymore - scripting is literally a tool for people with my issues, I've had counselors recommend it many times."
"Turns out little kid me was a smart cookie. Wish I could tell her that."
- MagpieMandible
Practice
Practice Makes Perfect GIF by The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy FallonGiphy"Yes. Then I worked as a receptionist for two years where I wore a permanent headset due to the volume of calls. No more fear of phones."
"If it helps, rehearse what you want to say before hand."
"If you're ordering food, have the menu at hand. If it's a billing issue or you're calling the bank (or anything related), have your ID at hand and any membership number or account number (whichever applies)."
"This way you avoid scrambling to get your info."
"Always have a pen and paper ready - ALWAYS. If you are taking down an email address, don't be shy to use the Nato phonetic alphabet. ("So that's A for alpha, R for romeo, full stop, zero, @gmail.com. Is that correct?") Then read it back to them. In my reception days, I literally printed this out and read from it when spelling a name or email address."
"Start the call with who you are and why you're calling. For example: 'Hi, my name is x and I would like to order a pizza.' "
" 'Hi, my name is X and I need assistance with my billing for January. Could you help me or transfer me to the correct department?' "
"And end your call with 'Thanks for your help, keep well. Goodbye.' "
"I always address people as sir/ma'am unless they correct me or tell me to call them by name. Don't be shy to ask 'I'm sorry, could you please repeat/confirm your name?' "
"The only way you get over this fear is with practice."
- dead_PROcrastinator
Trauma Time
Parks And Recreation Thumbs Up GIFGiphy"Went to therapy."
"After a few weeks, I realized my phone anxiety was a convoluted leftover from PTSD from something seemingly unrelated as a teen. Cured almost literally overnight."
"Truly bizarre how I went from feeling like I was made of lead and unable to do anything except wait in dread if I needed to make/was expecting a phone call to saying on multiple occasions, 'Oh I'll just call, it's easier [than texting/emailing].' "
- OhSoManyQuestions
Do The Thing
Do It Love GIF by TV OneGiphy"Stop giving a sh*t what people think of you and just do the thing."
"People in customer service deal with idiots all day long, they don't care if you stumble your words or don't know what you're doing as long as they can get you through the transaction."
"I have the same problem as the person posting this and this was how I decided to approach it. I work through the nerves and get it done even if I don't want to make the call."
"There's no brilliant 100 point solution for this, you simply bite the bullet knowing the person on the other end of the phone has heard worse and wants to get this over with just as much as you do."
- SquilliamFancySon95
"That's right."
"I've said the dumbest sh*t to customer service people and still got the help i needed. Just stay friendly is all it takes."
- _BEER_
Avoid Whenever Possible
Nene Leakes Reaction GIFGiphy"I didn't realize I had phone anxiety until I got my first call center job and was a wreck before every single shift."
"I never had a problem talking on the phone every day in high school with friends, girlfriends, etc... but as soon as I get on the phone with a stranger that has expectations for me (and is probably already irritated), my stress levels spike."
"My theory is that it stems from the depersonalization of not being able to see a real human; it's just two voices on the phone."
"You have no body language to use, and any period of silence you might use to gather your words feels incredibly awkward, so you feel pressured to respond to everything really quickly."
"Because of that call center job I never got over the phone anxiety. I don't even like talking with friends on the phone anymore."
"I don't have a strategy, I just try to avoid talking on the phone whenever possible. When I have to, I just grit my teeth and bear through it."
- halloweenjon
Move Out, Call A Doctor
moving GIFGiphy"Yeah, I refused to make phone calls when I was in high school because it was seriously nerve-wracking."
"Like, if I had to book a doctor's appointment, I would simply not see the doctor at all because I didn't want to make the phone call. Ordering a pizza would be out of the question."
"Once I moved out of home, I got a bit better at it - especially since stuff happened and I was constantly having to book doctors/specialists/tests over the phone."
"I still don't like doing it, but after a few years of practice, I can answer the phone and make necessary phone calls without having panic attacks or anything."
"There are some strategies to help (e.g. writing down any relevant information and having pen/paper in front of you). In saying that, if it's affecting you (especially if it's paired with something else like social anxiety or general anxiety), it's worth talking to a doctor about."
- notthinkinghard
Nobody Cares
jim nobody cares GIFGiphy"Heck yeah! I used to pathologically avoid making calls to check on things, to order stuff, to pay bills, and ESPECIALLY to ask questions / get support from a company."
"I got over it by realizing that there's nothing WRONG with calling and asking. And, that not only do they not care who I am (past whatever they have to do right now), they'll forget about me as soon as they hang up, possibly earlier."
"If I'm calling to get something fixed, it's their JOB to answer that call and take care of it. They expect to do their job, they're getting paid for it. And in an 8 hour day, I'm just another random person they won't remember."
"I got over it by realizing it didn't matter to the people I was talking to that I was talking to. That random people calling me are not sincerely looking for a relationship, they're doing a job they're getting paid to do, and I owe them nothing."
"And after I say 'no thanks not interested' and hang up on them while they're trying to take advantage of social custom and politeness, they'll forget and move right on to the next one. Not even a blip in their day."
"There's something called the spotlight effect, where we think everyone is watching us and judging us. The reality is, most people don't care, so you can drop the niceties in these transactional conversations."
- Deliberate_Engineer
The Assistant
season 3 episode 6 GIFGiphy"The best technique I found was to act as if you're an assistant making the call on your boss's behalf."
"Nobody is very mean to an assistant (except true a**holes and they would have been awful anyway.) And it's so much easier to make 'unpleasant' requests or be clueless if you're passing the buck."
"I learned this by being an assistant and having a terrible boss who made me make all sorts of awkward phone calls, lol."
- ObjectSmall
Readers, if you have phone anxiety what methods have you used to get past it?
Does it actually impact your life that much in the world of apps, chats, and messengers?
Sound off in the comments.
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Redditor HisMajesticDickens wanted to hear some confessions.
They asked:
"What is one socially unacceptable fact about yourself?"
Who is willing to dish?
Speak up... because I'm not. LOL
hands up...
"I've always struggled with sweaty hands and feet since I was a small child. In formal settings I enjoy the option of wearing opera gloves. People think I'm being fancy. Nah bra I'm just hiding that I have to shake 9000 hands at this event tonight and I don't want to have to keep wiping them on my dress." ~ happyfunisocheese
My Purpose...
"I will do nothing but sleep and eat all day if I could." ~ fernandito_chiquito
"I'm currently unemployed and basically do that everyday. And trust me, it's very easy to stop caring about yourself, stop showering, stop brushing your teeth, thus getting more lazy, not going out anymore because showering seems already like so much effort and sleeping is so much easier and BOOM! Depression pit."
"It's so easy to slip into this and just a tiny little step each day. There are a lot of days that I feel like useless garbage and that I absolutely suck I can recommend taking a break from working for two months or maybe even 3, but it's not as easy sitting home all day as we imagine it is. I feel like I have no purpose anymore." ~ Shadowchani
So incredibly toxic...
"I think my family are a bunch of self involved manipulating a**holes and if they didn’t talk to me again, it might make my life easier." ~ rockinthe90s
"I second this. Except I separated myself from most of the sick biofamily. The extreme levels of delusion with terrifying amounts of narcissism to cover the fact that not single one of them even knows how to be or even what happiness is. O and to cover up the blind ignorance and the absolute refusal to grow. So incredibly toxic. I have never been happier." ~ hurricane4689
Poser
"I am faking everything. Literally. I could not care less about anything. But I fake it all." ~ NotNotRonSwanson
GiphyFacades are normal.
We all hide behind them.
Don't stress.
I'm Tired
"I typically do not masturbate for pleasure. i usually do it just to make myself tired enough to fall asleep." ~ lauryngrace
"I still remember an episode of 'According To Jim' (I think, might have been some other sitcom from around that time) where the fat guy mentioned 'some of us do it as a sleeping aid' in a room full of people and he got weird looks while the laugh track played. That 'joke' was definitely based in reality for sure." ~ Chromattix
Bad Kids
"I hate kids and am a teacher. I’m a high school teacher and I enjoy teaching teenagers, but can’t stand kids under the age of 11." ~ ljnr
"I work with high school age kids and I cannot stand the super entitled ones that must think their crap smells good. They are so rude, so condescending, they'll tell you off for not having the latest iPhone or airpods. Have fun with your soulless, materialistic life I guess? They're so self centered they'll probably never even realize how petty and unlikeable they are. Sad." ~ joantheunicorn
"I definitely do not know at what point expressing my desire to talk to someone crosses from 'reaching out in a friendly way' into 'annoying and impinging'. And I worry about it!" ~ TheShendelzare
"I constantly feel like I'm annoying everyone that I talk to. Even my training supervisor, who has to remind me many times a day that I'm allowed and encouraged to ask questions in order to do my job better. Still feel like I'm always interrupting and pissing her off." ~ AzraelleWormser
Can you hear me now?
"Sometimes I like having fake phone conversations. Sometimes because I just need to talk through a problem or plan something out loud but my mom isn't picking up the phone. Sometimes for my own entertainment (trying to get people to eavesdrop)." ~ deqb
GiphyConan Tales
"I have full on conversations when I'm alone in the car. I find that its a good way to get my thoughts in order. I have conversations that I'll never have in person. I'll imagine that I'm arguing with somebody or that I'm on Late Night with Conan O'Brian taking about my new movie (I'm not an actor. I just love Conan)."
"Sometimes I just pretend that I'm explaining a hobby or something to a friend. Thank goodness cars have Bluetooth capabilities these days. Sometimes at stoplights I'll take breaks in between sentences so that the people in other cars think I'm talking on the phone." ~ stinkystinkypoopbutt
Just be you.
We all have traits and quirks the "public" won't love.
But clearly the public has them too.
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