Photo by Cristian Escobar on Unsplash
The brain of an introvert can be a complicated web of ideas and thoughts. There is a lot of thinking activity going on in there most of the time! Being an introvert can be quite exhausting. For this reason and others, introverts prefer to spend more time alone and re-balance their energy through solitude. In solitude, thoughts are easier to observe and notice. Thoughts that have become draining usually stand out, and they need to be addressed and processed.
Mental Health Risks
When someone wants to solitude, others can perceive it as loneliness or isolation. Not everyone understands the plight of being an introvert. Introversion, with its need for alone time, can also make one more susceptible to depression, anxiety, stress, or feeling overwhelmed. When thoughts run rampant without resolution, it can definitely get to a point when mental health needs to be prioritized.
It’s so beneficial in relationships and friendships, if the other person is an extrovert, to communicate and express the need for downtime to recharge. Also, to express to family and friends what some red flags are between having alone time and beginning to feel loneliness or depression.
Deep Thinking as a Life Skill
The deep thinking, analysis, and creativity that is in the mind of an introvert can be used for so much good. It can be a really important skill in many careers. It can be wonderful for resolving issues and seeing others’ perspectives. The brain develops it so much in all those quiet moments, why not use it as a very strong skill to live life? It doesn’t have to lead to mental health risks when processed properly.
Many introverts around the world have thanked (internally mainly!) Susan Cain for writing her book, “Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking.” The book was released in 2012. For many introverts, Susan Cain normalized a personality trait that has been seen as inferior for a very long time. Nothing is wrong with introverts, they just expend energy and gain energy in the opposite ways as extroverts. People and a lot of stimuli generally drain an introvert’s energy, and in order to rejuvenate that energy, introverts need their alone time to process and restore themselves. And, there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. The world needs more than one type of person and one type of personality trait.
Introversion in a Pandemic
It’s funny (but not so much), and a bit ironic, that during a pandemic, many introverts are faring better with lock-downs and being at home than extroverts. It’s more so in the nature and pace of an introvert. There are fewer activities and events and life has slowed down its pace. Working from home can be a very positive experience for an introvert. There is a lot of time to recharge. The hard part is likely from over-stimulation of all members of a family being at home for the majority of the time. Also, for an introvert living by themselves, they are likely missing the small bit of stimulation that they would prefer. Extroverts are not finding the same level of people and social energy and stimulation from home. It goes to show that one trait helps in certain situations, while another can help in others.
Solitude and Rejuvenation
Due to seeking solitude as rejuvenation, there is a risk that an introvert goes deep into overthinking and goes into loneliness, anxiety, and despair when negative thoughts are running on a loop. It’s important to hone the skill to use the strengths of introversion and not to fall prey to some of the dangers that exist. Thinking, processing feelings, and journaling are all practices an introvert can use to their advantage in order to stop the overthinking from creating too many feelings that are not productive. Getting the thoughts out into the universe–via talking, writing, creating art, or music–it’s externalizing those thoughts that get them outside of the body and into a realm where they may meet with acceptance and resolution.
Introvert Dear (www.introvertdear.com) is a website devoted entirely to all things introvert. There is so much amazing support and encouragement that comes from people who understand and share of themselves. Introverts are a small group of the population, and it’s so important to find others that can understand and relate. There are more online communities cropping up now that there is an emotional awareness surrounding introversion.
Introverts’ best bet is to learn to trust and take care of themselves. This is difficult and really takes effort. Overthinking can be turned into a positive by thinking critically or thinking analytically. The skills that introverts have can be used as a benefit to listen to yourselves because your mind is telling you what it needs, when it needs it. If you are overstimulated, don’t try to tough it out. You can feel it when it’s that time. Please give yourselves a break.
Directing Thoughts
Controlling thoughts is a skill that must be developed if you’re an introvert. It’s those thoughts that turn into feelings. Feelings that don’t serve you can easily begin to erode and damage your mental health. Ruminating on situations and people for too long have a tendency to delay action. Sometimes the best action is no action, but that needs to be a conscious decision with acceptance in the back-end.
Introverts, please use your wonderful thinking skills to make your lives better, to resolve issues and problems, use the skill to bolster solutions, not to find problems! Know that you have a lot to offer to yourselves with the deep emotional connections you can cultivate. Not everyone can do these things, and they really can be gifts.
