It's rather nice, really.....

....to need and crave quiet alone time, once in awhile. I am sure that EVERYONE must get tired of lots of people around them all the time, and always involved in some type of busy activity.

As an introvert, my alone time is like an oasis in the desert; my chance at regrouping my thoughts and energy; my ray of sunshine on a bitter cold stormy day; and my sip of water after not drinking for a long time. Yes....it’s that important to me!

Not getting enough breaks in my daily schedule

Since introverts need to recharge their energy batteries often, by quiet alone time, it helps a great deal if there are enough breaks in their daily schedule so that they can go off somewhere and do this.

Sorting out lots of details within information

It is very tiring and draining when I have to sift and sort out lots of detail in an article or any information of some sort. I can do it….but it wears on me.

Having a deadline or feeling pressure to finish a project

I do not work well under pressure. It causes unwanted stress and drains me. I do better when there is a loose deadline...and when I have plenty of time to work on a project. Then I am a happy camper!

When I have to do a lot of heavy thinking

Heavy, intense thinking wears me out and drains my energy levels. I do better with small chunks of thinking at a time.

Having to socialize

I am not a social bug…..far from it…and that is generally the case, with introverts ! Most introverts do not like crowds, even small groups where they have to mingle with others. We are more comfortable with one on one socializing, and we dearly love, covet and protect our alone time.

Doing or going somewhere I really don't want to

It stresses and tires me out when I know or dread doing, or going somewhere that I really, really don’t want to. Yes, a lot of times I balk at coming out of my comfort zone, but other times I know that the activity will either be uncomfortable or not to my liking. If it involves a lot of people, I will feel uncomfortable. If it is about something that I truly am not interested in, I will not like it.

Being put on the spot

My brain processes things slower than some people’s. This is an introvert trait. When I am suddenly put on the spot...out of the blue to have to answer a particular question right away...then it takes me awhile for my brain to kick in to be able to answer the question and then it appears that I don’t know anything about the subject, when in fact that I do, given the time to think and process. I hate that I am put on the spot like that...it really drains me.

Being around people who talk loudly and excessively

Nothing wears me down more and makes me want to escape than being around someone who is talking and talking and talking. Generally they are talking about things that I don’t even care about, nor have an interest in. Many of those things are in the area of someone they know (who I don’t) whose brother’s friend’s sister’s grandmother is doing such and such...you get the picture. I do not like long drawn out senseless conversation.

Also, if I am around someone who has a very loud speaking voice, it makes me cringe and want to poke my fingers in my ear. Then I start getting all nervous and look for the nearest exit.

Introverts love the quiet, peaceful, short conversations that don’t wear them out.

Having to talk within a group who are all listening to me

I am self conscious and on the shy side so having to do ANY talking within a group makes me tense and drains my energy very quickly. If only a couple of people by me are listening, I am ok with that...but to have everyone’s eyes and ears turned my way...oh my gosh.

I try to avoid situations like this as much as I can. I do not like attention drawn to me and I sort of feel like crawling into a hole.

Being in large groups of people

I am more comfortable and feel more in control of myself when I am in much smaller groups of people and I also feel that I am not overwhelmed by the great diversity of personalities such as in a large crowd.

Whether it is shyness or something else, I do not like the feeling that I might be “people watched”. So, the smaller the group...the less intimidated and uncomfortable I feel, otherwise I begin to wish very much that I was not there. Some people might tend to be critical and unkind in their thinking, so I try to avoid that.

Large groups of people can be very loud and boisterous, which makes me nervous and tires me out just having to listen to all of the noise. So...I do much better, productively, in smaller groups of people.

How my introvert energy level gets depleted

I will write separate posts elaborating on each of these:

1. being in large groups of people
2. having to talk within a group who are all listening to me
3. being around people who talk loudly and excessively
4. being put on the spot
5. doing or going somewhere I really don’t want to
6. having to “socialize”
7. when I have to do a lot of heavy thinking
8. having a deadline or feeling pressure to finish a project
9. sorting out lots of details within information
10. not getting enough breaks in my schedule
(this list will do for now)

How introverts recharge

We all need to recharge our minds, emotions and energy. That is how we keep going in our daily life to meet the challenges and demands throughout each day. The energy of an introvert gets depleted easily by numerous things (topic for my next post).

The way introverts recharge, is to go off by themselves for a short while and have complete alone time. They might read, watch a movie, take a nap, write, listen to their favorite music, or just sit and meditate. But their “alone time” is very important and critical to their functioning. After they have recharged and built up more energy, they are quite good to go again.

It all started.....

....several months ago when I Googled the words: “not a people person”, because I needed some information about why I felt uncomfortable around people.

One article and link after another finally led me to a website that offered a personality test for me to take to determine my personality. I took the test of over 70 questions which required yes/no or a multiple choice and then it was analyzed for me and gave me the results. The test determined that I was 89% introvert and was an ISFJ type personality.

I then discovered other websites about introverts and even an internet forum by, and for, introverts. This knowledge began to make all the difference in the world to me as I finally understood myself and could accept my unusual differences amid the personalities of other people. I was not alone anymore in my thinking that I was separately different and even odd, compared to others. I found there are lots more of “us” out there. And strangely enough, we all compare to be about the same in our feelings and idiosyncrasies.