8 Introvert Hacks

Being an introvert, I have struggled at times to have energy in a world where people are everywhere-phone, social media, advertisements, characters in books, etc. It’s all just a little too draining. For my sake and the sake of others who are in the same boat, I have come up with 8 introvert hacks aka how to do introversion really well.

1. Go to bed early. Then, you can wake up early and have more alone time and quiet space. Sometimes, it is so quiet that I begin to hear deep breathing and nearly jump out of my chair, only to realize that I am hearing myself.
2. Don’t respond to any of your texts the whole day. It’s great, and it makes you feel like nobody needs you. You just relax and do your own thing. Side note: you might get a couple passive aggressive comments from you friends when they realize you’ve ignored them all day. But hey, the peace is totally worth it.
3. Read books in public spaces. From the doctor’s office to the checkout line at Target, this trick is totally guaranteed to keep people from talking to you. Sure, you may have to exchange a few words with a secretary or a checkout clerk, but the book sends a very clear signal: “I don’t want to talk right now. I’m an introvert.”
4. Decide that you are a really motivated student, and study all the time. Then, when people want to hang out with you, you can be all like, “Ah, I’d LOVE to, but I need to get at least a 4.0 to get into my Master’s program.” Even if you aren’t planning on getting a Master’s, nobody will question you. They’ll just be silently amazed.
5. Find a hobby, like practicing music, working out, baking, or reading The Wall Street Journal front to back. Something that can be time-consuming. Then, you will always have this “hobby” as your outlet when you are too tired to do anything else. However, if you’re kind of in the mood to be with people, you can just find another introvert to do these things with you. It’s great because it’s like companionship, but nobody has to talk. Win-win.
6. Hone in on your listening skills. Become the person who listens more than they speak. When you do comment, make sure it is really thoughtful. Not only will you look pensive and mysterious, but you will build a reputation. “Yeah, Julia likes to listen to people…” Then, when you truly just don’t want to talk, people will merely think that you are contemplating deep thoughts and should not be bothered.
7. Speak few words. You will be the sage among your friends. Even if you don’t say something that has a lot of wisdom, people of few words are still respected. Take Yoda for example. Does the knowledge which imparts he make sense really? It’s debateable. But he uses few words and therefore sounds smart.
8. If all else fails, just say “I’m an introvert.”