#14: How I Handled a Mid-Call Anxiety Attack as a Creative Entrepreneur
Ever had anxiety interrupt a client call? It is jarring, disorienting, and, let’s be honest, pretty terrifying. In this post, I am sharing how I navigated a real-time anxiety episode during a session planning call and the tools that helped me recover and keep showing up.
It started like any other client session. I had done this exact call format hundreds of times. I knew the flow, the questions, the moments to lead and the parts to listen. But when it was time for me to take the reins and start explaining my process, my pricing, and what to expect, something shifted.
Suddenly, my chest tightened. My voice felt shaky. My thoughts were racing. This was not just nerves. This was anxiety, and it was intense. Everything that usually keeps me grounded — my comfort objects and thoughts — none of it was working.
What got me through that call was something I had already built into my process without realizing how much I would rely on it: my call script. A fully written, color-coded document with every step of my client conversation mapped out. It was designed for clarity, but that day, it became my lifeline. I followed the script word for word. I did not feel like myself, but I made it through.
Later, I reflected on what happened and realized that the anxiety was not random. The day before, I had gone through a full autistic meltdown. I was emotionally exhausted, but I thought I could still power through the next day. I thought my mask would hold. But it didn’t.
Two days later, it happened again. I began to panic and avoidance set in, I did not want to take anymore calls.
But then, I reached out. I made a TikTok video asking for advice. The responses poured in and they were so validating. People shared practical tips, grounding tools, and simple reminders that helped them cope. I tried several of them and slowly started rebuilding my confidence for these calls.
Here is what helped — both the tools I had already created and the suggestions from the community that are now part of my routine:
My Go-To Tools:
A fully written, color-coded call script with talking points and cues
Pre-call rituals like power poses and affirmations
Keeping a small stuffed animal or stim toy nearby
Writing affirmations like “I am safe” or “I am good at session planning calls” before the call
Having a tiny piece of sour candy ready to jolt my senses back into the moment
Suggestions from the Community (via TikTok and DMs):
Fidget toys or stress balls within reach
A calming scent nearby, like lavender essential oil
Sipping water or keeping a cold drink or ice at your desk
Asking the client for a short pause or even seeing if a reschedule is possible
Popping a Warhead candy to interrupt the anxiety spiral
These tools are not about fixing anxiety. They are about creating anchors, signals to your nervous system that you are safe, capable, and supported — even if your brain and body are telling you otherwise.
If you have ever had anxiety show up mid-call or in any professional moment, know this: it does not make you less professional. It does not mean you are not good at what you do. And it definitely does not mean you are alone.
Try what feels supportive to you, adapt what works, and if you have grounding tools that help you, I would love to hear them. Let’s keep finding what we need, together.