Before Covid I rarely, if ever, gave my clients my cell phone number. Covid quickly changed that policy, almost all of my clients have my cell phone number. The younger clients specifically ask for my cell phone number when they sign the retainer agreement.

I am currently noticing that several clients prefer to text me rather than use email. And I’ve noticed I feel more anxious to quickly respond to texts rather than emails. Maybe it’s the expectation of immediacy—texts demand a quick reply, while emails offer a buffer. There’s pressure to be “on” all the time. Somehow, the tiny message bubble holds more urgency than an entire inbox.

I am trying to learn to prioritize text messages in the same way I prioritize emails. If it is not urgent, I try to respond to emails within twenty-four hours. But I am finding it difficult with the text messages, somehow I still feel they require an immediate response even when they do not.

Are you a fellow sufferer of text message anxiety?