I have, for the most part, always honored my introverted nature, even before I knew what it meant to be an introvert.
I’d opt to stay in over going out on most occasions. I bailed on most proms and dances through high school. And I lived at home through college because I knew I could never handle sharing a room with someone with no door between us.
But even with these instincts, there were other aspects of my life that got significantly better once I understood what it really means to be an introvert.
Here are eight ways my life got better once I understood and accepted my introverted nature. Some of these may seem like they overlap slightly, but each impact has felt very distinctive on a day-to-day basis.
It elevated guilt
Like I said, I’ve always been pretty good at turning down the events and opting out of situations I know I won’t enjoy, but I would also sometimes feel really guilty about it.
I used to feel like I was letting down the people who were inviting me. And because I felt guilty, I had a hard time fully enjoying the fact that I was home and happy as opposed to out and miserable.
But once I understood what it meant to be an introvert and that ultimately, doing these events would take more energy than I had or wanted to give, I realized turning down events was a form of taking care of myself, which is something I will never feel guilty about.
Now, I’m delighted to turn an invitation and fully appreciate being home while an event is taking place because I know that’s what I need as an introvert.
It helped me balance my life
Understanding what it means to be an introvert helped me build a balanced life that allows me to enjoy my friends/family/activities, while still finding time to recharge so I have the energy for more.
When I found that I was feeling tired and spread too thin consistently, I was able to find balance because I understood that I was giving too much of my energy away. It led me to create a social tracking system that has helped me create a consistently enjoyable, balanced life.
It helped me be honest with myself
I used to struggle between the things I liked the idea of and the things I actually wanted to do. For example, I like the idea of going to concerts, but I always found them too overstimulating to enjoy.
I used to have a really hard time saying no to these types of invites because a part of me genuinely did want to attend. But now that I understand my introverted nature, I’m better at accepting what I want and don’t want, and avoiding overstimulating situations even if apart of it appeals to me.
It made me feel justified
On the other hand, there are also plenty of activities that have never appealed to me that I feel a lot more justified in passing on.
When I was in high school, I didn’t go to dances. They didn’t appeal to me. And while I never felt guilty for passing on them, I did feel like they were the types of things I should want to go to, and I would often think twice about my choice.
Now, I not only turn things down more, but I do so without a second thought.
It gave me more energy
Once I started to truly and understand and embrace being an introvert, I could modify my life to accommodate my introverted nature.
This included changing my work schedule so I work during a time where there are fewer people and less activity, implementing that social tracking systemI mentioned earlier, and actually planning recharge time.
All of this has combined to give me so much more energy than I ever thought possible. I’d gotten used to be slightly tired all time time. I had no idea that few small lifestyle changes could make such a big difference.
Learning I’m an introvert has given me the energy to be a better, more active, and more productive person.
It helped me better understand myself
It also helped me better understand myself and my own aversions and behaviors, and as a result, I know how to help myself.
For example, I’ve always hated going into a new environment. Now I know a part of this is because I’m an introvert. New environments can be very overstimulating. There’s a lot to take in and a lot for an introvert to adjust do.
Now that I know this, I do my best to go to a new environment ahead of time if it’s possible. When I started grad school, I took the time to practice driving my route and walk around campus so I would know my way and what to expect. That gave me some level of comfort and removed some of the newness factor before the first day.
It helped me learn to take a stand and hold my ground
Learning I’m an introvert also did wonders for my assertiveness. In the past, if I hated the idea of something, I was good at saying no. However, there used to be plenty of things I didn’t really like or didn’t really want to do, but I would agree to because I felt like I didn’t have a good reason not to.
Now I understand that the fact that I preserving my energy is a good reason, and I don’t have to have strong feelings about something to make a choice and hold my ground.
This has bled over into other areas of my life, and I’ve found myself more assertive than ever.
It helped me see the world more clearly
Learning what it means to be an introvert and, by extension, what it means to be an extrovert, has allowed me to better understand how the world operates. I get why things like dances and parties are appealing to some and not to others.
And, given that introverts are in the minority, I get why so much of the world has been made for extroverts. It makes sense why introverts, who would rather stay in, are seen as the “weird” ones. It’s because we’re in the minority and some of the larger aspects of the world weren’t made with us in mind.
That understanding has helped me modify my world in a way that I can succeed in, even if it doesn’t look “normal” to the more extroverted majority.
Looking for a more in-depth look at how learning I’m an introvert helped me build the life of my dreams?
If you want to dig a little deeper into this topic, 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 all the tips and tricks I’ve learned over the years that helped me build an introvert life I love. It’s my hope that it will do the same for you.
It will also help you embrace your introverted nature and build a life to help you thrive!
Click here for more introvert posts from Create Your Own Reality.
Sound off: How has understanding your introverted natured helped you? Tell us about it in the comments!