We’ve all been there: your mom calls you on a random Saturday and you pick up – completely forgetting that you don’t even have a load of laundry to fold for the duration of the conversation. Not to worry! Here are four ways to get through the phone call even though you don’t have dozens of socks to sort, match, and fold.
Let them do all the talking.
The best and easiest way to stomach a phone call even though you’re not in the middle of folding laundry is to pretend you’re not even on the phone at all, go about your business as usual, and let them do all the talking. If they call you out for not responding to their questions, just pretend your service is shoddy and – if all goes well – you’ll be able to hang up the phone even quicker than expected!
Find something else to distract yourself.
While folding laundry has been scientifically proven to be the best activity to do while you’re talking on the phone, there are other alternatives to pass the time if your laundry is sadly already clean and put away. Going for an extended walk, trying to beat your Sudoku record, and listening to the phone call in one ear and a podcast about medieval torture methods in the other are all ways to get through the conversation with as little damage to your psyche and your spirit as possible.
Fake an emergency and hang up as soon as possible.
Okay, let’s be honest: talking on the phone when you’re not actively folding laundry is just a hair shy of torture. If you happen to pick up the phone without a warm, clean shirt in need of folding in your hand, there are certain steps you can take to get off the phone as soon as you can. Saying your dog threw up or that your mom has just called you three times in a row and you need to call her back to see if anything’s wrong are just two ways to edge someone off the phone. Just make sure you’re not actually talking to your mom if you opt for using that last one.
Actually try and engage in the conversation?
Now, this method is not for the faint of heart. We only recommend doing this as a last resort, if all of the previous methods have failed you. By trying to actively pay attention to what the person on the other end of the line is saying to you and working to come up with a thoughtful and relevant response, you might even get through this conversation feeling closer and more connected to this person than before. Not likely, but maybe!
There you have it — four quick and easy ways to battle your way through a phone call even though you’re not in the middle of folding a huge load of laundry. Just remember: these are only alternatives – if you can somehow figure out how to have a fresh pile of laundry ready to be folded any time someone calls you, definitely go that route first.
