In a friendly tone: I’m sure there are extroverts out there who turn inward to recharge, but I’ve never met one. For me, the key to feeling happy and energetic is to connect with people and thoughtfully limit my time alone.
So I do my best to get out of the house at least once a week, even if it’s just a quick coffee with a friend or a phone call with my mom. And when I’m in my home office writing, I try to take breaks every few hours to go outside and talk to neighbors, walk the dog, or just sit on my front steps and soak up some sun.
But it’s not always easy to stay social when you’re an introvert—especially when you’re super busy. The key is making sure that your social time stays high-quality and that you’re not using it as an escape from other responsibilities (like work).
We introverts have a bad rap for not being good at taking care of ourselves. In fact, many of us feel guilty even admitting that we need “self-care” (whatever that means) because it’s not exactly a popular concept among our introverted peers. To be clear, self-care isn’t about being selfish. It’s about getting back to a place where we can be active participants in our lives and work instead of just putting in the time.
There are many ways to practice self-care, and as I’m writing this I’m thinking of more than 10 things that I do to take care of myself every single day, but here’s a list of 4 easy self-care tips for busy introverts:
1) Follow your basic needs
2) Take breaks
3) Get a grip on your energy
4) Make the most of the environment around you
1) Follow your basic needs
The most important thing you can do is to follow your basic needs. This means eating well and sleeping enough. If you don’t take care of these two things, everything else will suffer. You might not even realize how much your energy will be affected by not eating right or sleeping enough until you try it for yourself.
2) Take breaks
Your brain needs breaks just like any other muscle in your body. So if you’re working on something that requires concentration, take regular breaks to stretch your legs and clear your mind.
The Pomodoro Technique is an effective way to manage breaks while still getting work done: set a timer for 25 minutes and focus exclusively on the task at hand until it rings; then take a 5-minute break; repeat until the task is complete (ideally).
It’s easy to get so caught up in what we’re doing that we forget about taking care of ourselves — but as long as we remember our basic needs and give ourselves some time off every now and again, we can keep going at full speed for hours on end!
3) Get a grip on your energy
You can’t always control what happens to you, but you can manage how you respond. The key is to be aware of your energy level and use it as a resource. When you’re feeling low, take a break from your work and do something that brings you joy — watch a funny video, listen to music, or meditate for 10 minutes.
It’s important to recharge your batteries so that when you return to your work, you’ll be more productive and energized.
4) Make the most of the environment around you
The time we spend at work doesn’t have to be completely miserable. In fact, there are many things we can do to improve our day-to-day experience at the office:
Go outside — even if it’s just for five minutes — when possible. Spending time in nature has been shown to reduce stress levels, increase productivity, and improve overall mood.
Find ways to create small successes every day. Celebrate these wins with coworkers or friends outside of work hours over coffee or drinks after work hours (or both!).
Self-care is one of the most important things that an introvert can do to stay balanced, happy, and healthy. While it’s easier for extroverts to combat feelings of burnout by letting others look out for them, introverts must rely on self-care in order to recharge their batteries. What follows are a few suggestions for simple self-care tips for busy introverts. Try one of these tips each week, and notice how much better you feel by the end of the month!
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