I take breaks to work alone. I prefer headphones, tea, and a coffee shop. If you need to talk, ping me on Slack, DM me on Twitter, or FB message Me. Text me if you have my number which is close friends. Emails give me anxiety. The above is my preference as an introvert.
During the day too many meetings drive me crazy. After a couple of back to back meetings, I’ll take a walk or a break. Please don’t touch me to get my attention. If I’m having a rough introvert day, I’ll work out of a nearby coffee shop. I love the isolation being on my headphones at a cafe but among people that I don’t have to engage with. I have to tell my team it’s not them it’s me. Especially the extroverts.
Earlier in my professional career, I was the employee who never went to happy hours. I dreaded office parties and socials. I live in San Francisco where every night is a happy hour night. I either work late or go home. Most of the time, I feeling like I want to live in a bubble. Movies are social time.
Many friends and colleagues have asked if I wanted to workout or run with them. If my memory is correct, I’ve only worked out with someone three times in the past ten years besides Melinda.
It wasn’t until 2015 I embraced that I was an introvert. My coming out was on Facebook. In 2016 I started to process the emotions of an introvert. I began to understand the “why I’m feeling this way and what I can do about being an introvert.
If there’s a theme for 2017 I would suggest the theme is “Self Care.” 2017 is going to be an emotional year. We need to take care of ourselves emotionality and physically.
I now feel that I have an emotional grasp on being an introvert.
Here are 11 Ways The Professional Introvert Can Practice Self Care In 2017
1. Meditate, Start with a minimum of ten minutes a day. I use Insight Time App .
2. Schedule alone time during the day or come in early.
3. Block out no meeting days. For 2017, I’m planning no meeting days on Monday’s and Fridays except for direct client work.
4. Read a fiction book. I read seven fiction books in 2016. The books are an excellent way to relax.
5. Therapy / Talk to a specialist.
6. Track your mood. I use the iMoodJournal app.
7. Workout
8. Communicate with your team and significant other about your feelings.
9. Create a virtual support group using a community platform like slack or mobilize.io.
10. Schedule one on one meetings with mentors and advisors. As an introvert, I tend not to like meetings altogether, but the right meeting can be valuable. Scheduling quarterly meetings with your mentors and advisors.
11. Use noise canceling headphones such as the Bose QuietComfort 35. I often listen to WhiteNoise in cafes to block out the background noise.
I hope this helps. If you have other methods, let me know.
Get ready. We’re in for a bumpy ride in 2017!
