Life Advice

/

Health

Ask Amy: Mom ‘unmasks’ some schoolchildren

Amy Dickinson, Tribune Content Agency on

– Desperate to Change

Dear Desperate: Your anxiety is not at all “silly.” Your desire to work on this is commendable.

Engaging with friends and family via social media (such as Facebook) might help you to communicate (textually) with people you care about.

Also send postcards, greeting cards, and notes.

When it comes to placing calls, write down a couple of thoughts or questions to get you started, and ritualize the experience. Make yourself a hot beverage, sit in a favorite spot, have in mind what you will say if you leave a message.

Reward yourself when you’re done.

You can practice by calling a business and asking one question, such as, “What are your hours today?”

Smaller successes will lead to larger ones.

 

Dear Amy: I don’t always agree with you, but I have to admit that I really liked your response to “Helpful Husband,” whose florist wife clashed with the wife of Helpful’s colleague.

I snorted when you suggested that this florist translate the relationship into future business and “say it with flowers.”

– Won Over

Dear Won Over: Monetizing a prickly relationship would be extremely satisfying.

========

(You can email Amy Dickinson at askamy@amydickinson.com or send a letter to Ask Amy, P.O. Box 194, Freeville, NY 13068. You can also follow her on Twitter @askingamy or Facebook.)

©2021 Amy Dickinson. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.


 

 

Comics

For Heaven's Sake Spectickles John Branch Lee Judge Pickles Popeye