Extroverts are outgoing, energetic, talkative people. It is inevitable for extroverts to be around a group of people because socializing is how they get their energy. I do not know how it is for other extroverts, but socializing is involuntary for me, which is a blessing and a curse. Like many extroverts, it is easy for me to spark a conversation—I enjoy getting to know people and hanging out with people. However, there are times when I question if I'm overdoing it with the socializing. Most likely I am, and that means there's a problem: I do not know when to stop socializing with other people. Consequently, I neglect setting time aside time for myself.
I'm sure I am not the only one who has trouble with this. There are a plethora of people who do not know how to spend time by themselves and be okay with alone time. I applaud those who can easily do so. Personally, it takes a lot of discipline for me to set time aside to be alone. For the longest time, I did not know how to be by myself. I have always been involved in extracurriculars to forget about whatever I'm going through. I thought this was the best way to cope because I was not thinking about whatever made me feel down. It was not until I overworked myself by putting too much on my plate that I pushed myself to schedule my alone time.
It is scary to be alone. No one ever likes feeling alone, but sometimes that is what you need. This is hard for people to hear at first, but you will understand this once you actually spend time alone. At first, it may feel unnatural, but you have to give it a chance.
When I started spending more time alone, I was able to practice self-care. For starters, I didn't have to worry about other people. I did not have to cater to others when it came to making plans, which was great. I can sometimes come off as a "yes man," meaning I have a hard time saying no to people. This is a weakness of mine, and I do not know why I feel bad when I say no to people. It was pretty liberating to not feel obligated to go to events.
Spending time alone gives me the opportunity to self-reflect. I think about what I can do to become a better person. I think about how my experiences have helped me become the person I am. This is a pretty interesting experience because my thoughts go on a free fall, which sometimes leads to wonderful ideas I can execute later (ie. article topics).
The best thing I learned about this is that I can actually distract myself without talking to people. Watching YouTube videos surprisingly helps me forget about stuff. This was honestly mindblowing to me. I was not a big fan of this because I always felt unproductive when I binge-watched TV shows. I still do not like doing it, but I do set aside times to relax and watch videos on YouTube that move me.
It's okay to be alone. Treat yo'self to some solidarity time.
