|
|
|
|
Avoiding Stress on the Phone Some of the ideas listed below are definitely ones you have heard before, but if you spend a lot of time on the phone, it never hurts to do a quick review of good practices. 1. Your shoulder is not a phone holder. Raising your shoulder and then squeezing the phone up to your ear free up your hands, but puts a terrific burden on your shoulder and neck muscles. One man actually died after sitting in this position for an hour. Apparently his carotid artery got cramped and then burst when he finally put the phone down. 2. Your phone can be a good reminder to relax. In the Stress Manager class we teach participants to stop before answering the phone, take in a breath of air, and say to themselves, "I am...relaxed." Then pick up the phone. For all the times the phone rings around you, you might as well allow it to be a reminder to relax. 3. Switch your phone from the right to left ear. You can do this even in the middle of a telephone call that goes on for more than a few minutes. In this way, you'll give your neck, shoulders, arms, and ears a break. 4. Stop multi-tasking while you are talking on the phone. If the person were in the same room as you, you probably wouldn't keep working on your computer, answering e-mail, or filing papers. You be thinking that it's a waste of time to only talk on the phone. If this is the case, it will encourage you to finish that telephone call a little quicker so you can be more efficient with your time. 5. Get off your chair and stand while talking on the phone. This is definitely something you can do and the other person you are talking with will have no idea that you are standing. When you get ready to start work, you can resume sitting and be a little more energized and your body will be stretched. 6. Take lots of notes while you are talking on the phone. Keep them organized, so you have good records. Not only will you stay more engaged with the person with whom you are talking, but you will also be able to track those important telephone calls. After you have taken 5 or 6 telephone calls in a row, it's very hard to keep them separated. 7. At this time of the year, be sure to give your caller some kind of holiday greeting. After all, it is the time of the year of increased good will. Janelle Barlow, Author
|
|
  
   |
|
TMI US 8270 West Charleston Blvd Las Vegas, Nevada 89117 tel: 702 939-1800
Website designed by |
Previous
"Stress Management Corner" pages:
