To all my fellow introverts out there, I thoroughly understand your dilemma. You want to spend time with others. Yet the energy of being around so many people at once can seem overwhelming to your senses. You love people. But you can only tolerate them in small doses. You want connections with people. But you often find it hard to bond with other people. You want deep conversation, while most of the time, people at social gatherings just engage in small talk. On the other hand, you might feel so comfortable and at ease alone that you don’t even find it necessary or worthwhile to seek out friendships. Maybe you enjoy your own company so much that you don’t need to form relationships with others.
According to research, introverts comprise 16-50% of the population. This means introverts must adjust to an extroverted world, not the other way around.
So, this article applies to all the struggling introverts out there who find it hard to maintain their energy levels when in the presence of others.
Here are 5 recharging techniques for introverts:
1. Find some alone time each day.
As much time as we have to spend around others, it only makes sense that we would want to relish in the silence of solitude every once in a while. Every day, make some time for “you” time, whether that means going for a walk in nature, meditating, drawing, writing, going into your room and lighting incense, taking a hot bath, or whatever you need to do to relax. Don’t feel selfish for needing your alone time; as an introvert, self-care and self-love is crucial for remaining balanced, happy, and healthy.
2. Unleash your creativity.
Oftentimes, introverts feel stressed out and overstimulated in social situations. A good remedy for anxiety and stress is simply engaging in creative activities, whether that means writing, drawing, painting, dancing, singing, or whatever you enjoy. Studies have shown that creativity reduces stress, so why not pick up a pen or paintbrush after your next outing and forget about the outside world for a while?
Creativity can also help you become more aware of yourself and your needs/talents, which will help you cope better with unsettling situations.
3. Make your friends and family aware that you need space.
Don’t hesitate to let your loved ones know that you need to go home early from a social situation; this doesn’t mean you’re selfish; it means you care enough about yourself and others to know when you’ve had enough. Friends and family know you best, so this shouldn’t surprise them, anyway. Introverts don’t always want to stay five hours at a social gathering; maybe they’d rather stay for three and go home to relax afterward. You don’t have to compromise to have a social life; simply find a balance between both, and learn to feel comfortable in your own skin. As an introvert, don’t feel rude or disrespectful for asking for more alone time – if this makes you feel more balanced and relaxed, then you have every right to follow your instincts.
4. When socializing, go to small get-togethers.
Parties or other social events with lots of people can quickly become draining or overwhelming to the average introvert. Introverts usually do better in smaller group settings, where they can talk more intimately with people and avoid the huge crowds and noise that accompany typical social situations. If you need help making friends, check out meetup.com for local events; you can often find smaller gatherings here that will make you feel more comfortable socializing with others.
5. Don’t try to change your personality.
More than anything else, please don’t try to change to appease others or fit in. Although you shouldn’t identify with a label, our personality develops mostly in our earliest years of life. Nature and nurture play a role in developing your personality, and changing it would serve no purpose. While you can always work on certain aspects of your personality, faking extroversion will just backfire in the end, because you will feel so exhausted from trying to fake an entire persona.
If you need some tips on how to survive as an introvert in an extroverted world, please refer to our previous article here.
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