What’s it like being an introvert?
As an empath, introvert, and highly sensitive person, I can tell you. Yes, I can be charming and charismatic when I want to be, but deep down, I’m an introvert.
My husband thinks this is a shame. With a sanguine temperament, he’s funloving, easygoing, and wants everyone around him to have a good time. For him, the more people, the merrier. For me, the more people, the scarier. You can learn more about these personality types in Marita Littauer’s book, Wired That Way.
As an extrovert, my husband sometimes says “introvert” like it’s a dirty word. He’s witnessed me hide away in the room for hours on end—often glued to my computer—sometimes not leaving the house for days at a time except to walk the dogs.
“How can you stand it?” he wonders.
Besides working from home, which makes it easy to pretend that the rest of the world doesn’t exist, the truth is that I enjoy spending time by myself. There’s a difference between being alone and being lonely. I’ve spent enough of my life being anxious and depressed that I’ve finally learned the art of self-acceptance. I can be perfectly content in my own company.
However, just because I enjoy being alone, doesn’t mean that an excessive amount of solitude is good for me. Since I’m prone to mental health issues and sometimes experience flare-ups of chronic health problems, human contact isn’t just occasionally desirable, it’s often necessary. This means taking active steps to intentionally seek out a social life even if I don’t feel like being social.
Keep reading and listen to the Chronically Conscious podcast to learn more about how to thrive as an introvert.
[Read more…] about Are You an Introvert?