Check on Your Introverted Friends, Too

I’ve seen a lot of posts on social media as we continue to stay at home and practice social distancing: “Check on your extroverted friends. We are not okay.”

Well, I’ve got some news for you: Your introverted friends aren’t doing so hot either.

Introverts aren’t just homebodies who want to stay on the couch under a pile of blankets (although man, that sounds really great sometimes).

It all has to do with how we recharge. Introverts are going to charge their batteries with that alone time. You know what’s not a great environment for recharging? Everything and everyone being in my house all. the. time.

Everyone seems to be in agreement at this point that working from home, caring for our kids and facilitating virtual learning, all while staying at home and not being able to spend time with loved ones outside of our immediate family … it’s a lot.

Under normal circumstances, I’ve got a few built-in recharge times throughout my day. Time in my car while I commute … gone. Head to the gym after dinner and bedtime routines are done … nope. Go have lunch by myself if I’m having a tough day at work … forget it.

Instead I’m getting up, getting everyone ready for the day, and then heading down the hall to my makeshift office so I can start my busy work day. That 15 second second commute doesn’t quite do it for me.

Did I always love the heavy traffic on Ambassador Caffery as I headed into work? Of course not. But it was my time. Turn on a podcast, make an early phone call to a family member, or just ride in silence. No matter what I chose, it was my time.

Now I’m trying to find pockets of time with the hustle and bustle of work, school, and home all being under one roof.

So it’s not just your extroverted friends, who are struggling with not being able to go out and about, be with their people, and charge their batteries with the energy they get from being with others.

Check on your introverts.

Caitlin Jacob
Caitlin made her way to Lafayette more than a decade ago, after growing up in North Carolina and then graduating from the University of Georgia. Since then, she married the man who introduced her to Cajun country, and they welcomed their now 5 year old daughter into the world. She spends her days working in marketing, telling stories using her bag of digital tricks. When she’s not working or wrangling her tiny human, she can be found running (slowly), testing new baking recipes (ask about her almond poppyseed bread), or wielding a glue gun for her latest craft project.