How to Survive as an Introvert

“I don’t hate people, I just feel better when they aren’t around.” ~Charles Bukowski

Loads of people see my social media pages and think I am one cheesy kid, lemme burst your bubble, I am one helluva introvert! I am super anti-social, and can be so annoyingly quiet. 

Are you wondering what an introvert is?

According to Urban Dictionary, an introvert is a person who is energized by spending time alone. Often found in their homes, libraries, quiet parks that not many people know about, or other secluded places, introverts like to think and be alone.

There are quite a number of stigma attached to introverts, but the truth is they love their lives just like that! Being an introvert doesn’t make you less of a person than an extrovert. You are just designed that way and it’s magical.

We don’t even get jealous about social people! 😛  It’s not just our thing.

Here are some common traits of an introvert:

1. Lover of Nature
2. See solitude as Paradise
3. Naturally quiet
4. Deep thinkers
5. Love to write than talk
6. Prefers texting to calls
7. Awesome leaders
8. Small talks bore them

Where are my fellow introverts? I am sure quite a number of people must have labelled you standoffish, proud, rude…The list goes on and on but what they fail to realize is how productive you can be and extremely creative. Introverts just love their own space, is that too much to ask for?

“Introverts may have strong social skills and enjoy parties and business meetings, but after a while wish they were home in their pajamas. They prefer to devote their social energies to close friends, colleagues, and family.” – Anonymous

Related post What defines Boring?

I have done quite a number of crazy things as an introvert, and this is not because I want to but because I had to…

• Cancel a date at the last minute
• Talking to myself on the street in broad daylight- playing the hero and victim 
• I once said my food was burning just to end a call
• Replying a message in my subconscious without actually typing it out and arguing silly that I responded
• Pretending to be asleep during a pillow talk just because I can’t wait to enjoy quietness
• Used my earphones during a “deep” group conversation

The list goes on and on and on…

No wonder people call us rude…not our fault trust me. You will not understand how much we love privacy and enjoy solitude!

This above is super true. While an introvert may act all ‘snobbish’ and the likes, once they get comfortable with you, you’d be amazed at how wonderful they can be.

Let’s talk about surviving as an introvert, based on my personal experience.

Do not be afraid to lead. I use to be really scared when I find myself in a leadership position. And all through my growing up, I led. I always make sure to have someone that I work with closely who is not an introvert like myself. I speak and the person help me by supporting. I did this until I became sure of myself and learn how to deal with people. Sometimes, I still feel withdrawn when I have to lead a pack, but my smart mouth always come through for me.

Find your quiet comfort zone. Luckily for me, most of the places I have worked are not usually busy. This has helped me grow my confidence in super busy places. I gradually started getting myself used to being with people in growing numbers and learning not to zone out quickly. If you find yourself in a very busy workplace or environment, try to find your own quiet spot. When you are beginning to feel suffocated, quietly move to your quiet zone, take some deep breathe and return. And you can politely negotiate with your boss to see if you could get your own “private cubicle”.

Learn to say No. Many introverts find it difficult to say no just because they don’t want to offend friends or step on peoples’ toe and at the end of the day, they don’t even wait till the end of the party before sneaking away! If you politely turn down an invite, people may not understand but they’d be glad you did rather than acting like some voodoo princess who has come to read minds at their parties.

Drink Coffee. When your mind start shutting down and you suddenly feel like you’d suffocate, take a coffee break and reignite your flames.

Use your headphones. I use this mostly when I’m in public transports or going for a walk. Most people just find it so cool blabbing on and on repeatedly even when they realize you are not in the mood to talk. Well, I save myself the stress of saying, “I’m not in the mood to talk” by not even hearing you at all in the first place. 

Send SMS. So many times, I literally watch my phone ring and ring and ring. It’s not because I want to ignore but many times, I just crave silence. Especially if I know the call is totally insignificant. So what I do in instances like this is to make sure I send a ‘I’d call you back’ message to the caller which most time does not happen until after a month. Please forgive me, I try. Well, I am learning to return calls as soon as I pass that phase. But then, if you know you may never return that call, send a “Call me back in XYZ time” message. That would help…

 Being shy is not a trait of an introvert, some extroverts are shy too – Debwritesblog

Been an introvert is totally cool just as it’s cool being an extrovert as long as you can manage it and not appear as a weirdo. In fact, I thinks it creates a balance in this seemingly extroverted society.

What are your thoughts? Are you also an introvert? What are the craziest thing you’ve found yourself doing? How have you coped so far? Do you feel weird or you totally enjoy it? Extroverts, what’s your say? Join the discussion.

By the way guys, I have authored a book dancing…Check the cover page on my Instagram page here . It will be available on Okadabooks from June 24th. I’d share the link with you as soon as it’s out. 

However, instead of waiting for the post, why not follow my my social media account to stay abreast of this as I would be sharing snippets of the book there over the next few days…

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“Writing is something you do alone. Its a profession for introverts who want to tell you a story but don’t want to make eye contact while doing it.”

John Green, Thoughts from Places: The Tour