Welcome to Part Five of the Introvert Life Series! For the next two posts, we’re going to focus on your work life. First up, let’s look at the importance of finding an introvert haven at work.
(If you missed the previous posts in this series, you can catch up here.)
Work can be draining for introverts. How draining depends on the environment and circumstances, but odds are (unless you work from home) you find yourself around people for some portion of your day.
Being around people takes energy. This is true if you like the people you work with and extra true if you don’t.
And if you work in a busier or more hectic environment, you may find your job to be a little extra draining.
Fortunately, every 4-6 hours, you should also get a break or two at some point in your day. This may be a lunch break, just a breather.
One way you can give yourself an energy boost is by taking your break in a quiet place. This means skipping lunch with coworkers and ducking out of your regular workspace.
Today, we’re going to talk about the benefits of an introvert haven at work and where to find one.
The benefits
Gives you time to recharge
When you go all day without time to yourself as an introvert, you’re likely going to feel it. It doesn’t matter if you genuinely like the people you work with or eat lunch with, they still take energy.
Removing yourself from everyone for 15-30 minutes can give you enough of an energy boost to get you through the rest of your day.
I used to use my lunch breaks to socialize at my previous job, and I always went home drained. I found that when I started taking my lunch breaks to recharge, I ended the day with significantly more energy, and I enjoyed my time after work a lot more.
Gets you away from coworkers/people who might interrupt
Getting out of your workspace and to a quieter introvert haven also helps prevent people who know you from interrupting your recharge time.
Again, I’m speaking from experience here.
I used to take my shorter breaks in the same space I worked in. I would step away from my workstation and find a chair in the corner to read or play around online.
At the time, I didn’t like the idea of leaving my workspace because I thought I could maximize my break if I didn’t lose time to travel.
But what often ended up happening was my coworkers and people who knew me would see me looking “free” and drop by to talk. And while I often enjoyed the conversation, it didn’t do much to help me recharge.
Physically removing myself from the space I worked in made it so I ran into very few people who knew me and would want to talk to me, which made it worth the five minutes to walk to and from.
Where to look
Empty/Unused rooms
If you’ve got a break room and you’re the only person on break at that time, then that may be the ideal place. But if you’re not the only person in the room, you should look for someplace else.
If you’re in any kind of office/larger building, take one of your breaks to walk around and get the lay of the building. Are there any open and unused rooms? Or, are there any corners or nooks that are off the beaten path?
These options are great because they give you quiet time in places where people are not likely to look for you, which reduces the chance of you being found and interrupted.
Outside
This is a little less universal, depending on the weather conditions in your area, but if you’ve got weather you’re comfortable in, this is a solid option.
Going outside is great because you can always count on it to be there. You can take a walk, find a bench, or bring a blanket and sit yourself down on an out-of-the way patch of grass.
It successfully gets you away from your work environment and others, without relying on a room or area to be “open.”
(Bonus: If you want to read more about why nature is great for introverts, check out this post!)
A nearby location or your car
If you work in a smaller building, and the weather isn’t in your favor, try hoping to another location nearby. Ideally, we’re talking about something within walking distance, since we don’t want to spend most of our break driving around.
Maybe there’s a coffee shop, local library, or art gallery. These places are great because they encourage quieter, more low-key environments, which can help you recharge.
Alternatively, you can also sit alone in your car. If you’re afraid someone you know will see you and want to ask questions, drive it around the corner.
How to fake it
Maybe you’re in a building with no extra rooms, it’s way too cold to be outside, you take public transportation, and you’re not near any other location. If you can’t find a true introvert haven, there are ways to fake it.
First, bring headphones and music. Be sure to plug your headphones into your ears at the start of your break. Headphones are a universal Do Not Disturb sign, so that should help keep a lot of people away.
There may be a few that still try to talk to you, but as long as your headphones are in, you can pretend you don’t hear them (even if you do).
This may seem mean or rude, but it’s not. It’s you setting a boundary and expectation. Just because someone cannot respect the boundary of headphones, doesn’t mean you have to give them your time. (If it’s some you like, you can try to explain you’re having quiet time, but that’s your call.)
Second, bring something to look at. This could be a book, a magazine, a computer/tablet/phone. It doesn’t matter if you actually look at it or not, the goal is to look busy and absorbed so no one bothers you.
Third, if at all possible, face a wall and put your back to the rest of the room. This makes it harder for people to catch your eye and pull you into a conversation. It also makes it harder for them to positively identify you.
Looking for more tips on how to manage your introverted life?
If you’re liking this series and are looking for more, check out the Introvert Life Guide! which gives you an even more in-depth look at each of the areas we cover in these emails.
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: Do you have an introvert haven at work? Tell us about it in the comments!