Wellness Post, 4/6/20, Introverts/Extroverts
Good morning DA Upper School,
Here we are 3 weeks into this new distance learning experience. I’m guessing that the novelty of taking your classes online from home has started to wear off for some of you; and for others, you are just starting to hit your stride. The difference in those experiences might partly have to do with whether you are more extroverted or introverted. I am mostly an extrovert, so I really related to this quote from a Psychology Today article titled, Introverts, Extroverts and social distancing: “for extroverts…lack of social contact is stressful. They need people to talk things through with. Left alone too long, they lose focus, get sluggish and depressed.” I started to experience the sluggishness and lack of focus after about Week 1 of working from home. I asked my husband, Andy, if he would just listen to me basically spew all of the questions, worries, and problems that I felt like needed to be solved into the empty space of our bedroom one night before going to sleep. Just having him listen to me and validate what I was experiencing made a huge difference. The next day I felt lighter, even if just a little bit. If you are like me and need to talk about your thoughts and feelings with others in order to relieve stress, then I hope that you will ask a family member or friend to just listen when you start to feel that this quarantine is getting stressful.
For those of you who are more introverted and normally crave solitude over social interaction, staying home might feel less stressful and more comfortable and even rejuvenating compared to the usual required social engagement of attending school on campus. The aforementioned article did indicate however, that “even for an introvert there is such a thing as too much social distancing…too much solitude, and that’s when loneliness happens. That’s when even introverts can start getting weird.” Getting weird is an experience that can happen to anyone, so be on the look-out for signs that you, your family members or friends are exhibiting feelings of loneliness, sadness, fear, anxiety, or stress. You might need to tweak your quarantine routine or re-think how you are connecting with others. Reach out to me if you aren’t sure whether you or someone you care about is “getting weird.” I’m happy to help problem-solve or if you just need someone to listen and validate your experience like Andy did for me, then I’m your person. Unless, of course, someone else is already your person. Then reach out to them! 😊
Be well and stay connected,
Mrs. Danser
