I can only manage so much human interaction in one week. And this particular week was gnarly.
A 90-minute virtual gathering here, two days of in-person meetings there — and a whole lot of sitting in traffic in between.
In one of my calls today, I was asked how I was doing. And I answered truthfully… “I’m maxed out on human interaction.”
One of the reasons I think Myers-Briggs is bullshit (in addition to it being co-founded by a racist) is because it made me believe I was an extrovert for years.
Me from 2015 to 2018 (minus the clubs bc social anxiety):
Growing up, being introverted wasn’t cool. Extroverts had all the fun, friends, and plans — while introverts stayed at home with their cats (which isn’t entirely untrue because that is how I spend 99% of my time now).
Masking as an extrovert was exhausting. In some ways, I think it cheapened my relationships and interests.
Because spending too much time out in the world makes me feel like a shell of myself; and who, other than The Little Mermaid (obvi), can connect with a shell?
Learning more about/accepting my natural rhythms has allowed me to show up more authentically (even if the likelihood of me showing up at all is slim).
So if you’ll excuse me, I’ll be in my home avoiding human contact for the next three days to recover from a week of face time…
P.S. I’m hosting my last Mindful Inbox Hour of the summer this Monday, June 19. Register here for free.