Here are a 9 tips for taking care of your introvert energy this holiday season.
In between social engagements:
- Be mindful of who you do favors for and which social engagements you say yes to. Most of the time it’s better to RSVP with a No than RSVP with a Yes only to call up on the day of and tell the host you can’t go.
- Come up with a list of relaxing things to do that will recharge your introvert batteries instead of automatically doing something mind-numbing like scrolling through Facebook for the 10th time that day.
- Do something rewarding for yourself right after a social engagement. It’s better to associate parties with a reward than associate parties with tired grumpiness.
Before and during parties:
- Work out a list of ways to say goodbye beforehand, that way you won’t spend any of your dwindling energy trying to think of a way to say goodbye that isn’t insulting. “I’d love to stay, but I have to get going” or “I’m sorry, but it’s time for me to leave” may work.
- Arrive late if there will be lots of drinking involved. People will remember you arriving, but they may not be sober enough to remember when you leave.
- Find a task. You could offer to run to the store for ice, help in the kitchen, mix drinks, etc. Depending on what kind of event it is you could volunteer yourself as the official photographer.
- Take a minute by yourself. You might be able to step outside for a bit, or sit in your car for a few minutes. If those aren’t options, there’s always the bathroom.
- If you need a moment away from chitchat look at photos, books, and art.
- When you leave the party, really leave the party. Don’t use up your energy by mentally staying for another few hours, reliving an embarrassing moment. Chances are the other people involved forgot about it as soon as it happened. Psychologists call it The Spotlight Effect. We tend to drastically overestimate how much other people are paying attention to us.
