Surviving work as an Introvert

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Run n Spread

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Apr 2, 2013
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As a personality type that lends itself more to introversion rather than extraversion a challenge I have is been on for 40 hours a week in general. How do you all cope to avoid exhaustion or is it worth conceeding it is too hard and doing something on my own? Don't know what. Add in a stressful residential situation ATM and I reckon work will render me useless in 5 years unless I can find some way to relax.
How do you all cope? (Don't mean introverts specifically just anyone worn out by work)?
 
Be yourself. Don't try to be anyone but you. You don't have to do or say anything you don't want to, or any *en thing for that matter.


* what others do/don't do and do your own thing, and do it to the best of your ability. Kawaj Leonard from LA. Clippers. Prime example.
 

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Work life balance. Don't work back late unless it is absolutely required and requested by your boss.
For my 1 hour lunch, I always leave my desk and leave the office/work building. This is my time to unwind for 1 hour. If you eat lunch at your desk/work, your probably going to get distracted by clients/customers or your co-workers asking you to do things.
No work emails on phone. Helps you switch off after hours.
Take your annual 10 days personal/sick leave and 20 annual days. I can't stand people who turn up to work sick as a dog - coughing / sneezing etc.
Eat healthy and exercise. If you are working long hours don't just eat take away because it is convenient / don't have time to cook dinner. Salad can be made in minutes.
If your residential situation is stressful, then you probably need to consider moving houses or at very least going for walks / leaving the house often.
 
I keep to myself in the office unless there are people I like around. I don't pretend to like anyone and don't engage in small talk, with people either higher or lower on the food chain (don't kiss anyones arse ever, it's pathetic)
Be yourself, and if you don't know who that is concentrate your energy on figuring this out first before any workplace nonsense.
 
For me it's ensuring you have things planned and to look forward to outside of work time, especially when extra busy. It's easy to get caught in the trap of wake up, go to work, come home, do nothing, sleep, repeat for 5 days a week and it's a killer for your mental health and overall well being. The obvious plans like catch up with friends, play a sport, go to a gig are much better appreciated during the week as it means you're not looking forward to the weekend. By turning every day (or most days) into days where you can nourish your life in some way by doing something you enjoy rather than just existing you'll find yourself a lot happier and healthier overall.
 
I work as a consultant so it's expected that I'm around people all day, whether that's with colleagues or clients.

I usually work from home once every couple weeks to just be at home, on my own. But only if my schedule permits, which it fortunately does at least once every couple weeks.
 
Bigjobss said:
I keep to myself in the office unless there are people I like around. I don't pretend to like anyone and don't engage in small talk, with people either higher or lower on the food chain (don't kiss anyones arse ever, it's pathetic)
Be yourself, and if you don't know who that is concentrate your energy on figuring this out first before any workplace nonsense.
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Same here, works for me.
 
I'm a teacher and a huge introvert. Teaching is acting. I have to act out of character when I'm in the classroom. It takes a lot of energy so most days after I go home I pretty much lock myself in my house in order to recharge. Well first I go to CrossFit where apart from a few g'days and how ya goings I basically don't say a word as I'm emotionally spent. I'm sure people at CrossFit wonder how I'm a teacher with how quiet I am there.
 
raskolnikov said:
I'm a teacher and a huge introvert. Teaching is acting. I have to act out of character when I'm in the classroom. It takes a lot of energy so most days after I go home I pretty much lock myself in my house in order to recharge. Well first I go to CrossFit where apart from a few g'days and how ya goings I basically don't say a word as I'm emotionally spent. I'm sure people at CrossFit wonder how I'm a teacher with how quiet I am there.
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Who cares what they do or don't wonder. Many probably don't.




You're a good fella Rask, and a damn good actor:cool:
 
I worked in an industry which was majority introverts and so a lot of them seemed extroverted when they actually weren't. Like you do in various areas of life when the moment calls for it.

It's not always easy. Once you settle into a routine and get comfortable it isn't that bad, especially with a small team around you, but all the office morning teas and meetings and briefings and the new faces being shown around and the like is all a bit taxing and irritating. I'm someone that hates to have senseless lunchroom babble going on around me whilst I'm eating, so I generally have lunch by myself or (if possible depending on industry) at my workdesk.

In the mid 00s I was a closet transgender kid in my last few years of high school, and I just needed to take a sickie every fortnight to get through the acting really. My grades suffered a lot in Year 11 from previously being top of the class, and I was barely sleeping. I wouldn't do that at work, as I loathe to take a sick day or "mental health day" as you hear sometimes in the public service. But at school it is more about you than your service to the larger enterprise.

As an introvert, I prefer jobs that keep me occupied, stimulated and busy, preferably without too much extraneous social performance. Your diligence to the work can give a good impression, and you tend to act selflessly in the group to make up for your perceived deficiencies and allow the others to enjoy their more extroverted needs. But there are lots of good and fun times and great friends. Just find yourself the right workplace culture I guess, some are harder to be an introvert in than others. If it is hard to relax in, just treat it as a double life where once you walk in the doors you are basically a different person. It might not be a long-term solution, especially with home life, but can get you through some more trying periods.
 
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I literally just quit a job that I couldn't survive as an introvert.

I was good at acting and pretending, which was important in a public facing job... until I wasn't. It meant my external relationships were excellent (cos I was a good actor), but I'd have issues come up because, internally, I'd let my guard down and occasionally blow up at someone. This was because I'd become exhausted and my acting ability would plummet.

It's horrible to have to narrow down my aspirations to such an extent. But for me, I think the answer to surviving work as an introvert is to find the right job - something where I don't have to be public-facing, where I don't have to deal with too many people internally, and where there aren't too many expectations of what you'll do outside of work.

Of course, these aren't the kind of things that appear in job ads. So everything is just a shot in the dark.

If I could just win a big powerball jackpot and spend all my time with dogs...
 
Try running your own business.
Might be the best for you because then you have a small business on your hands without so many people getting in your face.
I think it was you that i read about having Depression on here.
I think you probably should get your anxiety checked up on as well.
Especially when you are feeling a bit on the shy side.
 
basashi said:
Nothing worse than a company that confuses extroversion with leadership ability.
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Linked to an extent I think.

Part of the responsibility of leading or managing is having uncomfortable conversations / finding yourself in uncomfortable situations involving other people. This is often too much for introverts.
 
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