
Many of you have heard the terms “extroverted” and “introverted." But do you know what they mean? And do you know how it informs what you need?
These terms have been explained by Jungian Psychology and made well-known with the Myers Briggs Personality Test. Extraversion versus introversion is about whether you gain your energy and motivation from other people or within yourself.
If you are extroverted, you gain energy from outside of you…your environment, people, things, activities. You tend to lean toward action versus planning and thinking. Extroverts love being around people and tend to be more vocal than introverts.
On the opposite side of the spectrum, if you are introverted, you gain your energy from within yourself…recharging during time alone, in thought, with your own ideas. Introverts can be easily overwhelmed in a crowd or noisy, chaotic environments. Introverts tend to be planners, and like to gain information and details prior to acting. This also means that they can get caught up in thought and theory and have a difficult time making decisions.
You may also be a little of both! There are very few people who are 100% introverted or extroverted. You can be in the middle of the extroversion-introversion spectrum. This has comically been referred to as an “ambivert”. This means that you will have some of both temperament traits. Maybe you enjoy being around others and acting quickly, yet it is still extremely important to find time alone and think decisions through.
So what does this mean for your self-care routine?
If you are more extroverted it is important to:
Make time to spend with others and socialize, to energize and relate to others
Exercise/Sports
Family/Friends
Events/Hobbies
Etc.
You might need to motivate yourself to slow-down at times to:
Think through decisions
Avoid being too impulsive
Be mindful that others may not have your energy/enthusiasm/urgency
In the work place it may be important for you:
To be able to bounce around ideas
Communicate with and be around others
At home:
Live with roommates or spend time outside of the house with others
If you are more introverted it is important to:
Prioritize time alone to:
Reenergize
Process information
Make decisions
Plan
Be in a quiet environment
Relax
It is important to know yourself and which environments you do well in. For example, if you know you will be overstimulated at an event for work or with friends, make sure you schedule down-time in the following day.
On the other hand, it is also important to push yourself out of your comfort zone and socialize with others at times, even though this is challenging for your temperament.
For work environment it may be important:
To have your own space/office
Have a quiet environment to work in
Have time to think decisions through
At home it will be important to:
Set boundaries with family or roommates & help them understand your need for time alone and peace & quiet to feel good and rejuvenated.
Have a sanctuary to recharge in (Uncluttered bedroom or meditation space perhaps?).
To get an idea of if you are more extraverted, introverted, or right down the middle…you can take one of these free quizzes:
To take a more in depth test you can visit: http://www.myersbriggs.org/my-mbti-personality-type/
I hope this informs your self-care practice and your wellness needs!
Be well,
Nora