Reclaim Yourself After A Day Surrounded By People
One of the biggest tell-tale signs that you are introvert is the fact that you feel exhausted after spending a significant amount of time around people. You may absolutely adore these people, or you may hate them - it honestly does not matter, because as an introvert you absolutely require "alone time" to recharge after being around people all day. When you do finally get a quiet haven (most likely when you return home), here are some tips to recharge and get back to feeling like yourself after so much effort has been put into socializing.
Quiet Time
It sounds very simplistic, but just having a few minutes of quiet can be enough for some introverts to center themselves. Some people pull into their garage or parking space at home, turn off the car, and sit in silence for a bit before heading inside (this is especially helpful if you have a large household and/or noisy children). Some people have a specific spot in a nearby park that they walk to alone and enjoy being in nature.
If you simply do not have any kind of quiet place, such as those who live in an incredibly busy city, then make your own! Get yourself some noise canceling headphones and play music, white noise, or simply turn the noise cancel feature on to get that true "silence" feeling.
Fitness
There is a reason a lot of people go to the gym after work - it releases endorphins and also makes you tired from the exertion! This combination makes it an excellent choice for unwinding from a non-stop day for any introvert.
Ah, but the last thing any introvert wants to do is go into yet another populated place, right? That is why there is such a huge industry for at-home fitness. You can return home to your quiet haven and then take your frustrations out on a punching bag, walk on your under-desk treadmill while playing a PC game, or sit on the couch watching something on Netflix while using a pedal stepper.
Self Care
You have worked hard all day, and put a lot of effort into smiling at people and addressing all of their concerns. Now that you have finally gotten some "you" time, it's incredibly important to focus on self care. Self care can be really anything, so long as it's an activity that benefits you, ONLY you, and makes you feel good. Chores, work, studying - none of that counts. The end goal has to be that it simply makes you feel good, period.
Self care is a foreign concept to a lot of people, so here are some ideas:
Take a warm bath with a fizzy bath bomb.
Take a nap! Sleep is as vital as food, water, and oxygen - don't become sleep deprived!
Use an eye massager if you have been staring at a computer screen all day.
Play with your dog or pet your cat (if you have one). Being around happy animals lowers human stress levels pretty dramatically.
Light your favorite scented candle and meditate.
Read that new book you have been wanting to start.
Eat something delicious, such as chocolate or a favorite treat.
Give yourself a scalp massage - the muscles in the head get incredibly tight and we do not even realize!
Disconnect
While it's a bit ironic to suggest this one on a blog, it's an incredibly important one. We live in a world where people can reach us 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and that is incredibly stressful for an introvert. We feel like we are always "on" and then feel guilty when we are not.
First things first: the world will not end if people cannot reach you for 20 minutes. Think of how many doctor's appointments, work meetings, school classes, and dinner dates you go on and you do not so much as glance at your phone. The world didn't end, right?
Secondly, if you do not make a point to be unreachable some of the time, you will become resentful and that will impact every single aspect of your life. Introverts often will not set clear boundaries with others, which leads to even more increased resentfulness. The end result could be a blow-up eventually, and no one wants that.
Turn your phone off or on silent and put it somewhere that you cannot see it. That really is it! Set a kitchen timer if you want to limit it, but make sure to have time just for yourself. You will be a happier, healthier person for it!
