🎙️ Episode 10: Social Anxiety: Why Making a Phone Call Feels Like Climbing Mount Everest

Published: 4.10.25
Duration: 7 Minutes
Category: Mental Health, Social Anxiety, Nervous System

🎧 Listen Now

📝 Episode Summary

Social anxiety isn’t just shyness—it’s a full-body nervous system response to perceived social danger. Whether it’s phone calls, small talk, or speaking up in a meeting, social anxiety convinces you that you’re at risk. In this episode, we explore why seemingly simple interactions feel so intense and how to work with your body instead of against it.

✨ You’ll Learn:

• What’s really happening in your brain and body during social anxiety

• Why avoidance reinforces the fear

• Simple, compassionate ways to build tolerance and confidence

🧠 Try This After You Listen:

Pick one low-stakes social interaction you've been avoiding. Write out what you're afraid will happen, then challenge that fear with a grounding truth. Try a practice call or message just to build the muscle.

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• Transcript

  today we’re tackling something that seems small to the outside world but feels huge when you’re the one experiencing it: social anxiety—specifically the everyday kind. The kind that makes calling to schedule an appointment feel like a boss-level quest. The kind that makes casual conversation feel like a performance with a scorecard. If you've ever rehearsed what you’re going to say ten times before picking up the phone—or ghosted someone just to avoid replying—this one's for you.

  Social anxiety isn’t just shyness. It’s your nervous system interpreting social interaction as potential threat. Your body goes into fight-or-flight even when the “danger” is just your friend asking what time dinner is. And it’s not because you’re dramatic. It’s because your body and brain are trying to protect you. But sometimes they’re working off outdated scripts.

  Let’s break this down. At the heart of social anxiety is fear of evaluation. Fear of being judged, misunderstood, disliked, rejected, or humiliated. And because the nervous system doesn’t distinguish between a lion chasing you and a barista asking for your name, it reacts the same way. Increased heart rate. Sweaty palms. Dry mouth. Tunnel vision. Racing thoughts. Sometimes shutdown.

  And if you’ve ever experienced trauma—especially rejection, bullying, public embarrassment, or family dynamics where you had to earn approval—your system might be extra sensitive to social cues. You learn that saying the wrong thing isn’t just awkward—it’s dangerous. You learn to scan faces, tone, and pauses for signs you’ve messed up. And that creates a cycle where even low-stakes moments feel high-stakes.

  So what do you do when something as ordinary as a phone call feels impossible?

  First, acknowledge the fear without judgment. “This feels big. It makes sense that my body’s reacting like this. I’m not silly—I’m sensitized.” Naming the response without shaming it helps reduce the nervous system’s alert.

  Second, prep your body before the interaction. Take a few grounding breaths. Shake out your arms. Do a small stretch. Try humming or exhaling slowly through pursed lips. You’re telling your body: “I’m safe. We’re not in danger.”

  Third, use scripts if you need them. Seriously. It’s not cheating. If you’re calling your doctor or answering a tough text, writing out what you want to say first can give your brain structure and safety. Even something like: “Hi, my name is ___. I’m calling to schedule an appointment,” can make it easier.

  Fourth, build in recovery time. Social anxiety doesn’t just zap energy during the interaction—it can create a hangover effect afterward. Give yourself permission to rest. You don’t need to be “on” all day. One hard conversation is enough for the day.

  Fifth, reframe awkward moments. Everyone fumbles. Everyone says “you too” when the waiter says “enjoy your meal.” You’re not the only one. And no one is replaying your moments the way your brain is.

  Here’s the thing—connection is a biological need. But it doesn’t always come naturally. Especially when your nervous system has learned to associate it with risk. The work isn’t to become the life of the party. It’s to feel safe enough to show up as yourself—even in small doses.