Are you one?

“Loud” doesn’t run in my family… it gallops.

So, I could never understand why…

Everyone else loved getting together in large groups - our family and all our friends, the more the merrier. But for him, it wasn’t his scene… or his “vibe” as my kids say.

Now I coach lots of them. Introverts.

Psychiatrist Carl Jung developed the concepts of introversion and extroversion in the early 1900s. According to him, one of the easiest ways to spot an introvert is by the way they recharge their social battery.

Introverts, he said, prefer to be in minimally stimulating environments (not groups) and tend to go inward to recharge, while extroverts are re-energised from interacting with others.

I am definitely an extrovert ??

I have since learned a lot about introverts. There are 4 main types:

1. Social introverts value solitude more than most people. They like being alone but aren't opposed to the occasional gathering of close friends and family, just don’t put them in the middle of a rave! They require alone time to recharge, especially in a relationship and will accept social invitations with no intention to show up!

2. Thinking introverts are often intellectual, this type of introvert is often at peace when studying, reading, learning, researching, and investigating. They are prone to getting lost in their thoughts and may actually mentally "disappear" from conversations due to a retreat into the mental world. These people are super self-aware ??

3. The anxious introvert is often quiet and may appear on edge or nervous, they shrink away from people and settings that may further stimulate their anxiety. You'll likely find anxious introverts at home because of nervousness or fear, usually catastrophising events before they happen, which ultimately prevents them from stepping out of their comfort zones.

4. The restrained introvert tends to be more reserved and can have their guard up around others until they get to know them. But rather than seeming shy or avoidant, they simply come off as thoughtful and grounded. Often unemotional, this type of introvert is often very controlled, is also the quiet, dutiful person that others tend to rely on.

If you’re reading this and relate to it, then please communicate your preferences to your leader so you can be allowed to thrive.

And if you’re not an introvert there’s a 100% chance you work with them. Seek to understand their preferences and never judge them.

Or they could bring out their cologne.