Have you ever felt depleted or burnt out from being a little too social?

I love people. I enjoy my work, I love my friends, my family, I love laughing and creating memories. But being around many people for extended periods of time also really drains the hell out of me. While I’m able to enjoy being present, engaged and charismatic in social groups, I’m also cognizant of the constant need for grounding and solitude that plights me each time I interact extensively with another person.

It’s actually quite common to lose energy from being around people for extended periods of time. While everyone is admittedly unique in their own way, this phenomenon often gets categorized into ‘introversion’. To add to that, being a highly-sensitive person also comes with the caveat of also being sensitive to feeling others energy, emotions or tension. As a result of being so open to life experiences and emotions, it can often be quite overwhelming if one is unable to ground themselves.

In social situations, the brain is stimulated and dopamine gets released. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter which helps regulate the brain’s pleasure and reward system. It is also linked to the sympathetic side of the nervous system, which puts us in a state of full throttle or “fight or flight”. ‘Extroverts’, in particular, have a more active dopamine reward network so they need more dopamine in order to feel pleasure. Introverts, however, don’t need much stimuli in order to experience excitement or pleasure. In fact, when dopamine gets flooded into their brain and the body responds to excitement they also feel quite overwhelmed!

The most interesting part of this is that the ‘introvert brain’ is more favorable to another neurotransmitter that is linked to the brain’s pleasure center, called acetylcholine. Acetylcholine is linked to the parasympathetic side which is responsible for “rest and relaxation”. So how do introverts thrive and receive the most pleasure in their daily life? Turning inward, being quiet, in solitude and relaxed. This is key to understand because introverts are not stealing away moments of silence or solitude because their loved ones are intolerable to hang around. Alone time is simply what they need in order to recharge.

While I adore being around my loved ones sometimes I need space to feel all of my own energy. It is important to cultivate a balanced routine in which one is able to experience the love, laughter, and joy their social network/connections bring but also pull back enough to recharge and restore. The best way we can serve others is by pouring love, rest and care into ourselves first. So go ahead; take a couple of hours of silence and enjoy the energy others are eagerly expecting you to bring to their presence. If you don’t show up for yourself, how can you for anyone else?

References: The Science behind Introversion and Extroversion