The importance of downtime for introverts comes up a lot on this site.
It’s often featured in posts about things that make introverts happy and why it’s so important for introverts to set boundaries, among others.
But we’ve never covered why, exactly, downtime is so important in and of itself. This post aims to do just that.
If you’re an introvert, my hope is that you’ll feel a little less guilty for taking and protecting your downtime.
If you’re an extrovert, this may help you better understand why the introverts in your life need and value their alone time so much.
Here are eight reasons why downtime is so important for introverts.
It helps us recharge
This is perhaps the most important. A massive part of being an introvert is the fact that being around people and/or in busy environments for an extended period of time is draining for introverts.
Even in instances where we enjoy the activities, we still lose energy.
In order to regain the energy we lose and have enough to function, downtime is essential for us to recharge.
Without, we simply will not have the energy or ability to maintain our day-to-day lives.
It helps us process
It can be hard for most introverts to process big or important pieces of information if we’re too overstimulated.
This can be true if the information is bad, but also if it’s good.
If there are too many people around, asking questions or pressing for our thoughts, it can be hard for us to even identify what we’re thinking and feeling.
Not only are we overstimulated, but in these situations, having to deal with other people’s thoughts, feelings, and energy, which takes even more of ours away.
Having some downtime gives us the time and space to sort out what we’re thinking and feeling.
With that said, this isn’t true for everyone, and introverts are sometimes okay with one or two people they’re close with.
But if your introvert asks for space, give it to them. Sometimes, we just need to be alone to figure ourselves out. And if you’re an introvert who needs this space, don’t be afraid to take it.
It gives us a break from sensory stimulation
Introverts are generally more sensitive to sensory stimulation. This is especially true if you’re a highly sensitive introvert.
Even if we’re not engaging with a ton of people, being in highly stimulating environments can be a serious energy suck.
For me, some situations were so bad that for a while I thought I had some form of anxiety when I was really just prone to overstimulation.
Having enough downtime ahead of a stimulating activity helps me last longer, and planning downtime after helps me recover faster.
And taking downtime when I’m feeling overstimulated (even if an activity isn’t over) has proven to be invaluable.
It helps us be productive
It can be incredibly difficult for introverts to be productive when we’re depleted. That downtime to recharge is critical for introverts to be able to be productive members of society.
Similarly, it can feel nearly impossible for an introvert to bounce back after a busy stretch when we haven’t had enough downtime.
An extrovert might be able to have a busy, fun-filled weekend and head into work on Monday, able to be perfectly productive. This is often a lot harder for introverts.
Downtime helps us have the energy we need to do what needs to be done.
It helps us be better people
Related to the point above, downtime also helps us be better people, which makes a lot of sense when you think about it.
If we don’t have enough energy, introverts may be a little sluggish and tired. And in this state, we often behave the way most people do when they’re sluggish and tired.
We can be a little short with the people in our lives, and we won’t always be able to give our best effort to the people and activities we value.
Taking downtime is how we can avoid these situations.
This means, in order to be our best, there will be times we won’t be able to help people in order to protect our downtime. This is better for everyone in the long run.
We need to help ourselves before we can help others. But taking the time and space to do this will allow us to be our best in all aspects of our lives.
It helps us avoid an Introvert Hangover
An introvert hangover happens when way too much socializing has happened.
This is typically the result of a super extended period of socializing or a signal large event (such as a wedding) without the necessary downtime to recharge.
It goes beyond being tired and unproductive and pushes us to a point where it’s difficult for us to think clearly because we’re so worn down.
Building enough downtime into your schedule is key to avoiding an introvert hangover on a regular basis.
It lets us have our own fun
Parties and regular social outings can be fun for introverts from time to time (depending on the party and outing).
But those activities aren’t really the type most introverts look forward to.
For us, there are few things more exciting that a long stretch of time to ourselves. We can read, paint, take a long walk, daydream, and feed our rich inner world.
Our version of fun is typically a little different from what the more extroverted world considers to be normal and commonly accepted fun.
It’s important for us to have downtime to explore our own fun in order to remain happy and balanced.
It allows us to survive overly extroverted events
That said, sometimes, we do want to go to more extroverted events. This could be because the event is a big deal to someone we care about, or the event itself actually does seem like fun.
Either way, we are who we are. If we’re going to get through those events and look back on them fondly, we need to have downtime before and after the event–and sometimes even take a time out during.
This will allow us to enjoy the event itself, and be able to pleasantly return to our everyday life afterwards.
Looking for more tips on how to manage your introverted life?
If you want more tips and tricks on how to manage your introvert life and build plenty of healthy introvert habits, check out the Introvert Life Guide!
This guide was designed to help you build the introvert life of your dreams. And it’s full of plenty of tips, tricks, and ideas to help you create an introvert life that’s uniquely yours!
It will also help you embrace your introverted nature and build a life to help you thrive!
For more introvert life tips, check out the other introvert posts!
Sound off: Fellow introverts, how has downtime proven to be important for you? Tell us about it in the comments!