Before I begin my post today, I want to note that anxiety is a very real condition that impacts the lives of more than 300 million individuals throughout the world every day and is different from the nervousness most people feel at one point or another in their life.

With that being said, what things make me nervous on a daily basis?

ORDERING FOOD VIA TELEPHONE

Since the advent of apps from restaurants, I tend to prefer using the app to place an order for takeout. For one, if the order is wrong when I open the bag or box, the mistake is usually easy to trace back who made it. Clicking on green peppers vs. green olives has a real impact on the taste of your pizza.

The other thing I’ve found to be true is that there may be a local discount you get by mentioning it to the person on the phone that you wouldn’t find on the app itself (it literally happened to me last night!).

As irrational as it may seem, I just like to control the order I place and avoid trying to interpret what is being said on the other end of the line too.

MEETING A CLIENT FOR THE FIRST TIME

Although I’ve worked in client relations for most of my career, it still gives me a bit of a “butterflies in the stomach” feeling when meeting a new client’s team for the first time, whether it be live or simply on Zoom or Teams. I think most people get flustered a bit when they begin a new work relationship, but usually in my case, once I engage the ones I am meeting for the first time, that nervous feeling dissipates pretty rapidly.

TURNING ON POWER AND/OR WATER AFTER A DIY PROJECT

Several years ago, I replaced our propane grill with a new one due to the old model having had rust to a point where it was no longer usable (a few of the burners were dead as well). As I tend to be pretty meticulous when it comes to reading through instructions, I took my time putting the new grill together on my patio. The nervous part? That came in when I was ready to connect the propane, turn it on, and press the ignition switch. Since I’m typing this now, it’s safe to assume it lit and my house is still standing (as am I)!

Just a week or so ago, I replaced our water softener with a new model (Aquasure Harmony series is amazing, and their instructions are top notch). The nervous part of the installation? Using Sharkbite connector hoses, I had to first cut the copper pipe to disconnect the old softener from my water system. Although I’d used the pipe cutter tool before when replacing portions of my faucets and/or toilets, it still made me nervous to cut the pipes coming into my home, and even though the water main was off, my mind pictured water gushing in a torrent all over my utility/laundry room. Thankfully, my anxiety in the moment was unfounded.

THE USE OF THE WORDS “FINE” OR “WHATEVER”

This one tends to be reserved for conversations with my spouse naturally. In certain situations, “fine” means anything but fine. If I’m feeling really dangerous, I’ll reply with the word “whatever”, and in certain circumstances, I end the night with a serious “I’m sorry”.

SCAMP QUIET FOR ANY LENGTH OF TIME IN ANOTHER ROOM

Nothing raises my nervousness quotient quite like realizing our Corgi Scamp has been mysteriously quiet while in another room for more than a few minutes. In many cases, he’s simply sleeping, but usually that is accompanied by a soft snore.

You know those wool dryer balls you can get online to replace dryer sheets or fabric softener? They look a lot (I mean a LOT) like toys for a dog. He tears those apart and there are woolen pieces of stuffing covering the floor EVERYWHERE! It’s even to a point where he will run downstairs when you’re changing out laundry in case one slips out of the dryer onto the floor. He then discreetly vanishes with his prize.

JOB INTERVIEWS

With this one, I think it’s the fear of the unknown. Usually you haven’t met the person (or persons) who will conduct the interview and you never know if they’ll ask you some obscure “off the wall” question (“You’re a new addition to the crayon box, what color would you be and why?”). Honestly, I think this would be on everyone’s list.

HEIGHTS

Anticipation of an encounter involving great heights is nearly as bad as the actual encounter itself. Whether it involves ziplining, bungie-jumping, climbing the stairs of a lighthouse, or riding the Ferris wheel, heights do something to me inside that I can’t quite control. Step by step or inch by inch, the tension and nervousness increases, and my thoughts begin to race. Nothing better than once it’s done!

NOW IT’S YOUR TURN

What makes you feel nervous? Share your thoughts and experiences by sending a quick comment!