Some people like talking on the phone, others do not. This doesn't mean those who don't like it have to appear rude to those who want to call them (though they may choose to do so). If you hate talking on the phone because either the conversation bores you or it seems like a waste of time, but don't want to completely avoid someone (particularly someone long-distance) who likes to call you, here are some suggestions of how to handle the unavoidable ten to twenty minutes of mobile catch-up (after that, if the conversation isn't going anywhere, it's time to make up an excuse to leave).
Multitasking on the Phone
- Play a computer game. Make it simple, like a card game or a puzzle. A non-computer puzzle, like a book of word-searches or sudokus, also works.
- Work on a craft. Sewing, knitting, sketching, or coloring might be effective busywork that will help you feel accomplished as you socialize.
- Do a chore. Sweeping, cleaning the bathrooms, folding laundry, washing dishes, or baking can help you feel (and be) productive. But make sure the chore is an automatic action that doesn't require a lot of mental engagement.
- Take a walk outside. If there's nothing to do, or you don't feel like doing anything else, a walk can help you feel psychologically less tied-down while you're talking.
- Stretch. Flexibility is an under-appreciated skill that can come very much in handy, but it must be exercised often to be effective. You might be excited when you get an unwanted call so that you'll have an opportunity to exercise something you otherwise would not have.
- Edit/upload photos. Advantageously, photo editing requires more tinkering than concentration, and the excuse of not having enough time often comes up for failing to upload photos.
What Not To Do While on the Phone
- Read.
- Write.
- Play a complicated/intense computer game or video game like a real-time-strategy, role-playing, or first-person shooter game.
- Talk online to another friend. This will probably throw off your phone conversation.
The key to phone multitasking is to either stimulate another sense that does not disrupt your listening and response, or do another task that allows you to maintain concentration. Of course, some people may be able to talk to one or two people online and one person on the phone, or play a real-time-strategy while talking. But for those people with weak attention spans and a lot of tasks to accomplish, try to minimize the level of mental processing in the secondary task.
Elisabeth Sharber - Elisabeth Sharber is a Messiah College graduate with a BA in English, and minors in politics and psychology. She is currently job ...
