To be fed up of being an introvert

[TenacityWins]

I had a good external meeting today. I made small talk over lunch. But at the end of the meeting I slope off on my own whilst others huddle in groups and probably walk to the station together. Or maybe go for coffee.

It made me feel sad after a nice day in town. I want to connect with people better but I don't know how to.

Your probably more extrovert than you think. Us introverts tend to be exhausted from the forced socialising and are thankful to slope off 😂usually with little regret of not staying longer

You're not an introvert, you are someone who is either shy, socially anxious or uncomfortable in this specific situation. Sorry for the derail but I'm really frustrated by the way being "introvert" as a label has been captured and misappropriated by anyone who is struggling with a particular social situation.

It's not the same thing.

Sorry you're feeling like this OP. Do you usually feel like this or is there something particular to this workplace which makes you feel uncomfortable?

It's absolutely fine to spend time alone OP! But if it's making you unhappy, try asking some open questions:

• What did you think of the meeting?
• Which parts of today's training have you found the most useful?

And you can be brave and offer an invitation:

• Fancy going for coffee?
• Would you like to join me on a walk around the block before the afternoon session begins?

And in group situations, you can invite yourself into things:

• You look like you're about to go for coffee. Mind if I tag along?

So, here's the weird thing, I actually hoped I wouldn't bump into anyone on my way out of the loo towards the exit, and did a bit of a detour, but then I felt sad I was alone.

So I'm not happy with my lot.

I do often have to recover from socialising, which I thought was a surefire sign of introversion.

I'm an introvert and want nothing to do with people. I have excellent social skills, I know exactly how to work a room, lead a meeting, make people laugh. I just can't be arsed as I don't enjoy it. If you are not having the relationships you want OP don't blame it on being an introvert - maybe do some social skills training if you think you are lacking in that area.