INTROVERTS THREAD ...shhhh, we're over here

[NorksAreMessy]

Hello fellow introverts. I hope the last thread exploded due to time since it was started, and not because it was controversial. :o

I started the original thread after reading the wonderful book quiet and realizing that I was not alone.

Lots of people were kind enough to share their thoughts and experiences, and it was a good support for those of us who like being alone; hate parties, especially hen nights; love reading, crafting, walking, painting, creating; enjoy solitude; need some recovery time after being in a crowd; prefer thought to action.

We are not necessarily shy, we can be confident and even outspoken, but we are at our happiest having a bit of a think on our own, thanks all the same

It's a bit odd to have a group of introverts, but I prefer to think of us as a collective. Separate but together.

As Christmas approaches, I thought we might need a thread to help us through it all

I am so happy about this thread.
Thank you all for sharing and for all the 'me too's.

Now, I suspect we are all above average intelligence and/or creative.
However, I also suspect that nobody will admit to either :)

I've spent half an hour sorting though the laundry for old unwearable stuff. Was nice and relaxing. Even the cats left me be.

Norks you would be wrong in your suspicions. I am supremely clever and intensely creative I'm not really creative but am definitely clever. Dd1 is following in my footsteps both in being an introvert and being rather clever, she's never happier than when she's in her room reading alone.

I'm fascinated by the fact that so many of us have jobs that don't seem to be a good fit for an introvert.

It seems to me that there are a lot of 'performers' e.g. training, dealing with patients or pregnant women.

And don't go retraining to be a librarian yet - our local library is like a bloody social club sometimes. I like it as no one notices what the DCs are up to but quiet it is not

:o

Just checking in, going slightly mad as DD (19mo) is poorly and has been glued to me all day. Shes now in my bed so Im in for a night of being kicked by the baby and kicked by her. Managed to book her an appointment with the GP using the automated line though so avoided having to actually talk to anyone

Oh I'm so glad I'm not the only one struggling to get some alone time as a SAHM. 11 month old is still feeding during the night and I feel like I'm constantly on call.

I do hide during the day sometimes. 3 yr old is pulling on my leg now wondering what I'm typing.

I had the perfect job before. Administration in an office with 3 other introverts. We all knew how good we had it! Alas, all good things come to an end. The boss was replaced with an extravert and she changed everything that was scared. I got out just in time. Of course, she thought she was doing us a favour.

I always dreamed of being a librarian too. That or working in a garden nursery. Plants are so quiet.

I'm fairly sure I used to be clever, but wasn't ever creative. Now I seem to be creative, but not so much with the clever

I'm a SAHM, which I love, but also starting a cake business from home. I've always loved baking and am annoyed I wasted time trying all sorts of inappropriate careers (journalist, for an introvert, really?!)

Does anyone else have the same silly fear that I do - that one day I or someone I know will do something that means a news story will be written - it just horrifies me - the thought of it.......

isfj

My DC are recovering from coughs and colds, I feel as if I have been on call 24/7, they aren't great sleepers anyway, but the night time disturbances just make me feel as if I can't even recharge my batteries properly either.

Yesterday I was sewing badges onto my DD's new Rainbow uniform until 11.30, then at 11.40pm DS managed to roll out of bed and wouldn't settle. I tried for an hour and then gave in, as usual, and let him sleep in with me and DH, it took until 1am for him to stop wriggling and fidgeting and when DH got out of bed at 5.30, I could only doze until my alarm went off at 6.45 as DS had his feet in the back of my neck and I was on the edge of the mattress. If I moved position he complained and tried to get up...sigh. At least he slept on until 8.15, so DD was nearly ready for school at that point.

Does anyone else set their alarm early, so that they have some peace and quiet, getting on with household chores, without anyone (other than the cat) clamouring for attention?

greenhill - yes I do! I feel really disappointed if the kids wake up early too.....

greenhill yes to getting up early to enjoy peace and quiet and have some thinking time. I don't think I could cope with the day if I got up the same time as everyone else. It's of much more value to me than a lie-in.

Merlot I started out in books - illustrated non-fiction, so cookery, gardening etc. It is a fun industry, with nice people. The pay is terrible though! That's what made me switch to online publishing. You could always foray into medical publishing on the side :)

Incidentally, I wonder if introverts make up a higher than average proportion of avid internet users. DH thinks I "singlehandedly keep the internet going" but it must be partly down to my nature - I love the ability to engage with the world... alone.

evening ladies
i go on the net alot
what do u ladies do in the evening?!
me and dh eat tea and watch something together for 30 mins then i feel i need to sit on my own and watch tv to chill for abit so i send him to the room next door he goes on the computer

Gosh you lot move quick!

Merlot the plan is to give up medicine all together. Don't want to count chickens before they're hatched though, coz it's early yet.

A while ago I discovered 'mylife in books' which is my ideal tv programme. Unfortunately it's mainly repeats now, but I have the tv set to record series so I occasionally catch ones I haven't seen.

Dh and I spend all our spare time together, but it's all very quiet calm and civilised! Although I do like the hour at home before he gets in from work to keep to myself.

Evenings are spent reading, on mn or watching Telly. I only get about 2 hours as kids are asleep by 8 and then I'm off to bed by 10.

DH will potter about practising his guitar or surfing so it's all very relaxed and quiet.

Was looking after DS and watching my daily instalment of shit tv this morning.

DH finished his lecture planning early & came to join me.

Wow that stressed me out! Poor DH, he wanted to spend time with me... So lovely; yet so difficult. It's that whole spontaneous socialising thing again.

Bue funnily enough I've been approached by a medical publisher to review a textbook in my area of interest. I'll have to give it a go!

Persuasion I think you're very brave. I've always been too scared that I just think the grass is greener, and after 15 years, an awful lot of my identity is tied up with being a Dr. I'm enjoying it a lot more since I cut down my clinical commitments, and I can earn more in 2 or 3 days a week doing this than I could doing anything else part-time, so I can have some 'at home' time to recharge. I loved maternity leave, but was actually ready to go back by 9 months, which surprised me. I guess I'm saying don't burn your bridges until you've tried being home full time!

I usually have 2 nights a week when DH is out and I get to watch TV/ read, have a and relax on my own. I really look forward to that time! DH keeps stressing that I can go out if I want, he's happy to babysit etc, but I get quite enough people contact with my job. He goes away several times a year socially, and keeps asking if I'd like a weekend away with my friends, when I told him I'd like a Spa weekend on my own, he was !

I am having a lovely day today

I have taken a day off work because we had a furniture delivery. Luckily, that arrived at 8.30 so now I have an empty house until tea time. The peace and quiet is bliss.

There are shopping baskets all over the internet with my goods in them

I have decided to grin and bear it and go to the work Christmas do after all (as I found out it's already been paid for so I can't really pull out now!). It's a sit-down meal rather than drinking in a bar or dancing, so it shouldn't be too bad. I think the boss is an introvert too, one of the venues considered had a DJ and disco and he vetoed it straight away because it sounded hellish. Old eating disorder hang-ups make the eating-in-front-of-people thing a bit uncomfortable, but never mind.

I've done the MB test quite a lot of times over the years (mostly as a bored/procrastinating student) and the result I come up with most often, and that I feel suits me best, is INTP - thoughtful and systematic. :)

Hi I'm new to this thread but am very thankful that there is somewhere to post for introverts. I've jumped several of the posts but from the general consensus it seems that I am not alone in wanting to be left alone to get on with what I want to do with my life. I have recently changed to being self employed from being a wage slave ( and nothing more ) for about a thousand years and I am trying to use the time to find out about my creative side and what makes my heart sing. I dread with a vengeance having to make small talk and appear interested in other people and what they are doing, I am trying to work out a way through all the numbness that seems to fill my life at the moment . My family love me to death but I know I need more than that and I just want time on my own to work out things for myself. Sorry , rambling now...........

I have just spent all day managing to avoid a task, and now I'm feeling guilty for not just getting on with it....

I have to basically cold-call a long list of patients to see if they might want to be involved in a study. Can't delegate (for various reasons). Dreading it! Don't like the phone at the best of times, it's bad enough calling people I know or who are at least expecting my calls, but this!

Hi ClareM, if you have a read through the thread, some people (myself included) have found personality tests such as Myers-Briggs Type Indicator helpful as a starting point for understanding ourselves a bit better. Just a thought...

Hello clare
'being left alone to get on with it'
And
'time on my own'

Yup! You are one of us :o