I briefly touch upon loneliness and anxiety in this post. So I want to preface that while I’ve worked for years with people who have mental health issues, what I write here shouldn’t replace the help of a health professional.

If you’re struggling with loneliness and anxiety or know someone who is, I encourage you to please seek support. Always take care of yourselves and those important to you.

***

Do you ever find yourself enjoying your time alone, sometimes even craving it? Even if it was paved with good intentions, have you been judged for it?

I have.

I am an introvert.

What this mostly means is that I recharge my energy in low stimulus environments. Growing up, I didn’t know that and for a long time, in a world that is mainly designed for extroverts, people who require environments with lot of stimulation including a lot of social interaction, I thought there was something wrong with me.

According to the internet, there are different types of introverts as well as misconceptions about them. Some of you may not relate to these. Some of you might.

I know I did.

When I was in primary school I’d watched my classmates running around the playground, wondering why I didn’t want to join in. Wondering why I’d rather go to the library to be alone. People would ask me…

Why are you by yourself?

…and though they had good intentions, they usually said it with a judgmental tone. I was definitely a shy kid but I wasn’t completely anti-social and while I did feel anxious and lonely at times when I was by myself, it was overshadowed by the liberation of just being alone.

I did make friends and enjoyed their company. Yet for the most part I noticed that when we were out together, as enjoyable as it was, I secretly longed for the sweet embrace of solitude.

During high school this part of me didn’t change that much. I also met other people who enjoyed spending time alone as well, friends who even use their time to create beautiful artwork. It was a relief to know that I wasn’t the only one.

And you know what else?

One of the greatest gifts that the joy of being alone gave me was discovering a love for writing. It was amazing, it was uplifting, it was a moment I’d never forget. What I once thought was a flaw in my personality became a strength.

I wrote song lyrics, I wrote short stories and eventually, I started working on a novel. My enthusiasm for this craft grew to the point where the main reason I looked forward to going home after school was so that I can return to writing on my laptop.

Now I want to make it clear that the theories behind introversion or extroversion isn’t so black and white. People are too complicated and unique for that. Creative people can be extroverts and introverts can flourish in the spotlight, adored by millions.

There is definitely more to these personalities, but I wanted to share my experiences because introverts still tend to be misunderstood within society and when I was a kid, the internet wasn’t as accessible for me. So I had no way of knowing that choosing to be alone was and still is okay.

At the end of the day, wherever you fall on the introversion/extroversion spectrum, as long as what you’re doing makes you happy and it’s not really hurting anyone and is also meaningful to your life, then do those things.

If you enjoy going out and socialising with others everyday, great! If you enjoy a quiet night in, a date with yourself, then you can do that too.

We’re all built differently and that’s okay.

What about you? Are you an introvert or extrovert? Share your answers in the comment below and I’ll see you next time.

***

Thank you for taking the time to read this post. I’d like to mention that what I write about is simply a reflection of my own personal experiences.

By sharing my thoughts about the things that have motivated and inspired me as well as the people in my life, I’m hoping I could motivate and inspire others.

I’m aware that everyone’s situation is different and if what you are doing works for you, I’m really glad. Please continue doing what you’re doing.

I’d also like to point out again that while I’ve work for years with people who have mental health issues, what I write in this post shouldn’t replace the help of a health professional.

If you’re struggling with loneliness and anxiety or know someone who is, I encourage you to please seek support. Always take care of yourselves and those important to you.

***

Photo Credit of Meditating: Jared Rice on Unsplash

Photo Credit of Library: Clay Banks on Unsplash