To The Introvert Struggling To Come Out Of His Or Her Shell
Being alone can be dangerously addicting, but you miss out on life in the process.
If you are introverted like me, then you're probably someone who loves the solitude that comes with being alone, sitting in a blanket burrito, and binge-watching your latest Netflix/Hulu obsession. Mainly, because being in social situations tend to drain your energy. Sadly, this isn't a great trait to have and sometimes you can even lose friends in the process (I know I have).
I know that it's hard to crack that shell that provides so much comfort. I know that there is a 50/50 chance that every time you go out that you could have a great time or just be miserable the entire time, so instead, locking yourself away seems like the solid choice.
What's worse for a lot of us is that it's not something that can be helped because it's just good old fashion depression. This just makes it that much harder to get out there and live life.
What I have had to teach myself is that it's not necessarily how you feel in the moment, but instead the memories you make that will last you a lifetime, and how can you ever make memories if you never attempt to go out and make any?
It's not about bettering your social media feed or even caring about what people think about you and what you do with your life, but instead, it's about taking care of your mental well-being and not wasting your life away. Even just going out once a week is better than getting up, going to work/school, going home, and repeat.
We all need our alone time every now and then, but one thing I have learned through my introverted ways is that when you constantly lock yourself away, you miss out on life. And for someone like me who is in college and in their early 20's, you miss out on what is some of the best years of your life, which I know a lot of us have a bad habit of doing.
I want to challenge the introvert reading this as I have been challenging myself; start making plans with friends and to make the best of life, or even better, start saying yes to those who still invite you to go out instead of making up a million excuses to stay in.
It's okay to start small, like just going out to dinner or seeing a movie, but slowly going out of your comfort zone is a great way to start cracking that shell and even feeling a little bit better about yourself (or at least I know it does for me).
I know that it's frustrating that this is a challenge to you when it comes so easily to others, it can even seem unfair. But in the end, as long as you are trying to come out of your shell for yourself and not others, then I promise, it's worth the try.
Some of my faves while we were rushing FranklinEmily Ruezinsky
