Introvert is a noun meaning a shy, reticent person, someone who is inward-looking. Growing up, I always wondered why I had a difficult time making friends, why it was hard for me to just go up to someone and introduce myself. Not that I didn’t like people but it wasn’t in my nature to start a conversation with someone I had just met. It was later on that I realized I was an introvert and there’s nothing wrong with that. Psychology Today notes, “When we think of people as being introverted, we often wrongly assume that they are people who don’t like people. However, as Susan Cain so effectively showed the world in her book, Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking, introverts can be warm, interested in others, and powerful in their own right.”
Given my job and the lifestyle I live, I have to interact with a lot of people on a daily basis and most of the time they are people I am not necessarily close to. As an introvert there are things that I’ve learned about myself like how I keep a lot of things to myself, the people I choose to open up to, and when socializing gets too much.
Support system
I’m lucky to have met some amazing people in the last couple of years. I feel like I can truly be myself around them, something I haven’t felt in a long time. These friends understand how I function and know when I want to be left alone or when I need some company. They don’t pry or force things out of me and listen when I need someone to talk to.
Quiet time
As introverted as I am, I love to go out. I enjoy going to clubs, music festivals, and immersing myself in the experience. However, I’m not always socializing with someone or rocking the dance floor. There are times where I stand in a corner or sit down and just listen to the music or even find a spot where there aren’t too many people.
Detox
When the happenings of other people’s lives start flooding in, I take a break from social media. I detach completely and realign myself with being in the moment and present. Even if you aren’t an introvert, going on a social media fast might help you focus on yourself more and less on other people.
Every day I learn something more about myself, trying not to take things too seriously. Doing my best to step out of my comfort zone every now and again but always going back to looking inward and bettering myself.
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