An Introvert Hangover Is a Real Thing—This Can Help | Well+Good - Deepstash
Ramadan: Islam's holiest month

Learn more about personaldevelopment with this collection

The spiritual benefits of fasting

The rituals and practices during Ramadan

The importance of community and charity during Ramadan

Ramadan: Islam's holiest month

Discover 26 similar ideas in

It takes just

4 mins to read

Introduction

Introduction

One of the most common misconceptions about introverts is that we're shy and don't like people, says Field Trip Health psychotherapist Mike Dow, PsyD. "Introversion may look like shyness to an extrovert—but it's really more about the energy depletion and the way they experience the world," he explains. We just need a lot of alone time to recharge after being social, whereas an extrovert thrives on the energy of other people. This could lead to an "introvert hangover,” exhausted from the effort of being around others.

38

230 reads

Basis of the theory

Basis of the theory

"When introversion was first identified by Carl Jung, the Swiss psychiatrist famous for analytical psychology, the focus was on all the mental energy that introverts use up when socializing," Dr. Dow says. "I've also seen my own introverted patients experience a depletion of physical energy when socializing too much. This is why introverts need alone time. That combination of both mental and physical energy depletion is what I would identify as the 'introvert hangover' despite the fact it's not a recognized diagnosis."

35

155 reads

Physical and Mental Effects

Physical and Mental Effects

In addition to being drained physically and mentally, you can also be drained spiritually, Dr. Dow says. "I tell my patients that 'feelings are information.' Thus, this introvert hangover is information that you overdid the socializing and haven't spent enough time alone in your own thoughts/within your own psyche—where introverts thrive," he says.

35

148 reads

Ways to deal with an introvert hangover

Ways to deal with an introvert hangover

An introvert hangover can leave you too exhausted to deal with people IRL, and can last anywhere from a few hours to a few days or more. If you experience the latter, Dr. Dow says you really know you overdid it and seriously need to prioritize some alone time. An introvert hangover can even make responding to texts feel like an insurmountable task. "If you don't have the energy to text back, you know that you have really depleted your inner battery of physical/mental energy," says Dr. Dow. "Ask yourself: What did I learn from this experience? How can I manage my energy better next time?"

39

133 reads

Good news!

Good news!

The good news is that introvert hangovers can be helped, and even prevented, with the right recharge methods. First up: taking some alone time. Dr. Dow suggests meditation, a session of psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy  (which is what they specialize in at Field Trip Health), gardening , or time reading as means of doing so.

32

118 reads

Self-care

Self-care

It can also be helpful to set up systems to explain to friends and family why you are going to be MIA for a bit. "Don't feel guilty about this time within your own inner world,” says Dr. Dow. “This is where introverts thrive. Let your closest family and friends know that you've upping your self-care game and, thus, are going to go into brick mode on your phone and set your away message on email when you're going into introvert recharge mode. This will save you from having to send individual texts."

33

86 reads

Recharge your social battery

Recharge your social battery

Dr. Dow also says to own your self-worth, and be honest with people. "When you're in a good space, tell them something like: 'I'm being more conscious with the way I pay attention to what I need and my energy. If you ever get a brick mode text back or my flower emoji, you'll know I'm recharging.'" He adds that you can prevent abandonment and hurt feelings by making clear the time limit. "So if your mom keeps on texting, say, 'Hey mom, I'm in recharge mode. I'll text you back tomorrow,' instead of 'I can't talk right now,'" he says.

34

76 reads

<p>"The former is positive and...

"The former is positive and specific; the latter is negative and vague. Positive and specific communication makes relationships better—whether they're personal or work." He adds that the person who needs a time out is the one who should come back. (Meaning: You DO have to text your mom back after the recharge time you set up.)

33

79 reads

Take your time!

Take your time!

But there is no need to rush to recharge. "Use the methods above until you notice your energy returning," Dr. Dow says. As you start to incorporate them and become more aware of how much time with others is too much, Dr. Dow says you can begin to make adjustments to prevent an introvert hangover from happening in the first place.

34

80 reads

CURATED BY

ethanisaac01

22 | he/him

CURATOR'S NOTE

Being an introvert can be difficult at times but hopefully these ideas can help!

stash-superman-illustration

Explore the World’s

Best Ideas

200,000+ ideas on pretty much any topic. Created by the smartest people around & well-organized so you can explore at will.

An Idea for Everything

Explore the biggest library of insights. And we've infused it with powerful filtering tools so you can easily find what you need.

Knowledge Library

Powerful Saving & Organizational Tools

Save ideas for later reading, for personalized stashes, or for remembering it later.

# Personal Growth

Take Your Ideas

Anywhere

Organize your ideas & listen on the go. And with Pro, there are no limits.

Listen on the go

Just press play and we take care of the words.

Never worry about spotty connections

No Internet access? No problem. Within the mobile app, all your ideas are available, even when offline.

Get Organized with Stashes

Ideas for your next work project? Quotes that inspire you? Put them in the right place so you never lose them.

Join

2 Million Stashers

4.8

5,740 Reviews

App Store

4.7

72,690 Reviews

Google Play

Sean Green

Great interesting short snippets of informative articles. Highly recommended to anyone who loves information and lacks patience.

Ashley Anthony

This app is LOADED with RELEVANT, HELPFUL, AND EDUCATIONAL material. It is creatively intellectual, yet minimal enough to not overstimulate and create a learning block. I am exceptionally impressed with this app!

Shankul Varada

Best app ever! You heard it right. This app has helped me get back on my quest to get things done while equipping myself with knowledge everyday.

samz905

Don’t look further if you love learning new things. A refreshing concept that provides quick ideas for busy thought leaders.

Jamyson Haug

Great for quick bits of information and interesting ideas around whatever topics you are interested in. Visually, it looks great as well.

Laetitia Berton

I have only been using it for a few days now, but I have found answers to questions I had never consciously formulated, or to problems I face everyday at work or at home. I wish I had found this earlier, highly recommended!

Giovanna Scalzone

Brilliant. It feels fresh and encouraging. So many interesting pieces of information that are just enough to absorb and apply. So happy I found this.

Ghazala Begum

Even five minutes a day will improve your thinking. I've come across new ideas and learnt to improve existing ways to become more motivated, confident and happier.

Read & Learn

20x Faster

without
deepstash

with
deepstash

with

deepstash

Access to 200,000+ ideas

Access to the mobile app

Unlimited idea saving & library

Unlimited history

Unlimited listening to ideas

Downloading & offline access

Personalized recommendations

Supercharge your mind with one idea per day

Enter your email and spend 1 minute every day to learn something new.

Email

I agree to receive email updates