How to call your reps when you have social anxiety
June 2020 update: I made this comic in November 2016 when I felt like our country was falling apart. It’s still falling apart. We need to take action now, and always, to fight racism, police brutality, & injustice in our communities. We can’t be passive.
I hope this comic continues to be helpful for folks like me who struggle to balance activism & mental health. You can find an Instagram version of this comic here.
I’d also like to recommend 5calls.org, a fantastic resource for calling your representatives.
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When you struggle with your mental health on a daily basis, it can be hard to take action on the things that matter most to you. The mental barriers anxiety creates often appear insurmountable. But sometimes, when you really need to, you can break those barriers down. This week, with encouragement from some great people on the internet, I pushed against my anxiety and made some calls to members of our government. Here’s a comic about how you can do that, too. (Resources and transcript below.)
Find your reps:
Find your representative at house.gov
Find your senators at senate.gov
Transcript:
“How to call your reps when you have social anxiety”
There’s a LOT going on in the U.S. right now. Many people’s rights and safety are at risk. You’ve probably heard that one of the most effective ways to advocate for issues you care about, or stand up against dangerous policies and appointments, is to call your local representatives.
If you want to help but have social anxiety and find phone calls very intimidating, you may be thinking, “How do I do this?!” (An oversized telephone handset hovers ominously over the narrator with its cord spiraling around her body. She looks up at it with great concern.)
Here’s a step-by-step:
Block off time on your calendar. Each call only takes a minute or so, but you might want to block off more time for your first call, so you can prepare your words & nerves. Don’t rush yourself! Scheduling is super important, otherwise you will perpetually delay calling.
At the scheduled time, go sit somewhere quiet.
Find out who represents you. Some places to look: House (http://www.house.gov/representatives/find/) and Senate (http://www.senate.gov/senators/contact/).
Write out exactly what you plan to say. It only needs to be a few lines, and there are lots of templates online that you can use. e.g. “Hello! I am constituent from city (zip code) and I am calling to urge Some Name to publicly...” If they have already released a statement, don’t use that as an excuse to avoid calling. I know it’s hard, but call anyway. Thank them and ask them to keep pushing.
Take a deep breath. You can do this.
Do this: dial. (This is the hardest part.)
Read from your script. At this point, you’ll likely be sent to voicemail or to an actual person. The person will most likely be friendly and probably won’t have much time to talk, so you shouldn’t have to deviate much from your script. It’s a quick conversation.
That’s it! Say “Thank you” and hang up.
You did it! If you’re thinking “Hey, that wasn’t so bad...”, call more people! And follow up with them next week, or even tomorrow, to make sure they keep these issues top of mind.
It is okay if your voice shakes. It is okay if you feel awkward.
They get a lot of calls, so they don’t have time to judge you by how well you delivered your message.
Is is also okay if you can’t call.
This week, my best friend told me, “Do something that is uncomfortable but not harmful to your mental health.” For me, calling was enough outside my comfort zone to be stressful & scary, but not so far away as to use up all my energy. That might not be the case for you, and that’s okay. Do not beat yourself up about it. There are lots of ways to take action without picking up a phone:
Write to government officials
Create art that challenges and art that inspires
Donate, if you’re financially able, to organizations that fight injustice
Listen to immigrants, people of color, women, trans and non-binary people, people of all faiths and sexual orientations, and people with disabilities. Support their work. Amplify their voices.
Happy Halloween! Today marks the end of Inktober. It's been a great month! Here are two drawings from today:
I drew this squiggly self-portrait with my left hand because my right wrist felt inflamed. A fitting end to Inktober? But then...
My partner gave me some ointment that makes my wrist feel like it’s burning but also makes it feel better. He said, “It’s basically making your nerves dance!” I imagine little nerves dancing around my wrist to music I can’t hear.
Out for a walk after the rain today, I was fascinated by an unusually shaped shadow on the side of the Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Assumption. I don’t normally just stop in the middle of the sidewalk and pull out my sketchbook, but this called for an exception. Here’s a quick sidewalk sketch!
1. Cut
Cut the folder into twelve isosceles triangles of the same size.
2. Assemble
Glue or tape six triangles together to form a base-less hexagonal prism. Do the same with the other six triangles, and then combine the two prisms at the base.
3. Insert
Insert one end of the wire into one of the tips of the prisms. Use tape or hot glue to secure it.
4. Attach
Wrap the other end of the wire around the middle of the headband.
Tada!
Put on the headband and transform into a Sim! Remember to stay positive, as you’re sporting a perpetually green plumbob.
For Inktober yesterday, I drew a festive Halloween-themed header for my latest comics newsletter. You can subscribe to my email newsletter and read the archives at tinyletter.com/cordeliadillon.
Here's a comic I've been meaning to make for ages about being a sweaty person. You can click the image to view a larger version in new tab.
The Sweat Cycle
1. Walk swiftly to work and arrive sweaty.
(illustration of me smiling a tiny bit while holding my backpack straps, with visible sweat droplets jumping off my head and sweat patches visible in the armpit region of my button-up shirt)
2. Air conditioning is so cool, sweat won’t dry.
(illustration of me with hands on computer keyboard, looking down somewhat worriedly at armpit sweat patches as air blows around in the background)
3. Sweat patches stay wet & become very cold.
(illustration of me sitting at keyboard, clenching my teeth, and shaking a little bit as air blows around me)
4. Put on hoodie to warm up.
(illustration of me wearing a hoodie and looking rather content as I sit at my keyboard, air blowing around me)
5. Extra fabric causes even more sweat.
(illustration of me looking a little embarrassed, hands on keyboard, as sweat patches are now visible in the armpits of my hoodie)
6. Repeat steps 2 through 6.
A tiny drawing of me smiling while holding a balloon, which reads: “Don’t forget to smile.” A dime appears next to the drawing for scale; the balloon is just a little bit smaller than FDR’s face.
Comic transcript:
“Tuesday, October 18th, 2016″
I look down at my watch, which reads “11:20,” and say, “I am so SLEEPY but I still need to do Inktober!” Vaguely concerned, Partner asks, “Tonight? It’s so late.” I say “Yes, you’re supposed to draw EVERY SINGLE DAY.” Partner raises one eyebrow skeptically and says, “Sounds like a holiday invented by the pen industry...”
I spent most of last night working on my D&D character, who compulsively tries to pick every lock she comes across.
Illustration description:
A halfling woman smiles deviously as she picks a door’s lock with her right hand, her left hand clutching a strap of her overflowing rucksack. She wears her hair up, fingerless gloves, a striped tunic with noticeably sewn-on pockets, leggings with knee pads, and long pointy dark boots. Her location is unknown, but there are wooden floorboards, a wooden door, and a stone wall.
