You often hear people saying that introverts and those with quiet personalities ought to be more extroverted. Oh, they don’t say it in that way, exactly. But have you ever heard, “They should be more friendly” or “She didn’t even ask me any questions! I carried the whole conversation”? Those are versions of: “You should be more of a people person.”
Although extroverts’ personalities are often associated with positive personality traits, there are times when being more like an introvert is preferable. If that’s you and you have no idea how to approach it, we can help.
At its basic level, introverts are those who recharge and feel fulfilled when they are by themselves. Extroverts get their energy the opposite way, from being around people. There’s a lot more to it, and we’d recommend this article if you want to get into the deeper meaning of personalities.
Here are a few tips for extroverts looking to learn how to be introspective, quieter, or simply more satisfied when they find themselves alone.
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Find A Solo Hobby
It’s hard to enjoy spending time on your own if you can’t think of anything to do. If most of your fun hobbies involve other people, then you need to get comfortable with a solo hobby.
It doesn’t have to be something like knitting (although needlework, puzzles, and other quiet activities are great ideas!); it can be going to the gym on your own instead of working out with a buddy. It can be golfing by yourself, or working in your garden without others around.
Find an activity you can be passionate about, even if you don’t have anyone keeping you company while you practice it.
Learn to Summarize Like an Introvert
Have you ever been in the middle of a story and watched as your conversation partner’s eyes glazed over? The Lad sometimes has this problem, and his best advice is to practice summarizing.
While you may want to spend twice as long telling someone every last detail, it’s possible they only want the highlights. Introverts often want to get a conversation over with as soon as possible, so they only provide the bare minimum of information.
Best practice is to give the highlights first, and if they’re interested in hearing more, they’ll ask questions that will allow you to provide the nitty-gritty extras.
Please be aware, even if you practice summarizing, this technique also requires some self control, as you may still have difficulty providing too much information.
Keep A Journal
Because an extrovert spends a lot of time focusing on the outer world (what’s happening around them and what other people are doing), keeping a journal can help them refocus on their inward selves. Even if you’re not a writer, spending a couple minutes each morning can help you focus your day or set an intention.
Here are some writing prompts to try:
What are 3 things you’re grateful for?
What are you looking forward to about your day? (if morning writing)
What was the best part of your day? (if evening writing)
How will you take time to focus on your inward self today?
What is my goal for today?
What is one memory you treasure?
Where do you hope to be in 5 years?
You can also try these writing prompts for some more ideas.
Become More Aware
Push pause for 30 seconds to focus your attention. Some call this mindfulness, some call it breath work.
You can try box breathing or stopping to notice one thing about each of your five senses (I hear traffic, I smell popcorn from the break room, I feel the floor with my feet, I see the carpet, and I taste the sip of Coke I just had).
Set a reminder on your phone or your calendar so you remember to pause and focus for a moment. Chair yoga is another great way to pause and focus, and it can increase productivity.
Finding Balance
Most people aren’t totally on one side or the other. Instead, they’re a combination of introversion and extroversion, with a leaning to one type. Using the tips above, you can find more of a balance in your personality if you tend to be extroverted.
If you’re not sure which personality type you are, try taking a free Myers-Briggs test to find out.
For more articles on self-improvement, check out these other posts from A Wild Lass:
*Disclaimer: Some of the links you see may be affiliate links. All that means is if you click through and end up making a purchase, I’ll earn a commission.