Harness your true introverted powers

Ailish Durcan (Her Twenties)

Have you always been told that you are too quiet and don't speak up enough? Are you the friend that is secretly happy when social plans fall through?

Well, then you my friend are most likely an introvert !

What makes someone an Introvert?

Introverts are defined as people who are rapidly drained by social interaction. These are people who prefer intimate conversations over small talk and would rather work independently than in a group.

Growing up I remember the time when schools started to obsess over group work. I always hated group work. A pit would form in my stomach when the teacher would say we could form groups and work on a project together. As the other kids around me were eager to pick their friends and begin working, I would much rather sit in my own corner and work alone.

I could never understand how people would find joy in collaborating and I especially didn’t understand how people didn’t enjoy their own company.

If you question whether you are an introvert or an extrovert, think of it this way…

If you are put in a social setting, do you find that you rapidly gain energy or feel rapidly depleted of energy? All people will need time to recharge after socializing, but introverts will truly be exhausted after an hour or two of socializing.

Introverts will feel overstimulated more easily and extroverts tend to enjoy a lot of noise and socialization.

About a third of the population are introverts. Introverts tend to use the parasympathetic side of their nervous system more than the sympathetic.

What does this mean?

Well…

So you can see how harnessing this energy can probably be pretty useful !

Who else is an introvert?

It turns out a lot of successful people are introverts…

Including

• Eleanor Roosevelt

• Mahatma Gandhi

• Rosa Parks

• Martin Luther King jr.

• Albert Einstein

• William Shakespeare

• Abraham Lincoln

• Elon Musk

Most of the people on this list have lived a life of extreme purpose. They may have wanted to or preferred to spend time alone pondering their thoughts, but they made sure to spread their deep thoughts with the world.

Introverts tend to pursue careers in which they can work creatively and independently. Just as many of the famous people on the list, introverts like to have a career that ignites a deep passion in their mind, and something that will allow them to ruminate on thoughts for hours.

It is important to note that many famous introverts must be pretty connected to their passion to want to speak publicly about it. They must find their work so important and necessary for change in the world in order for them to live a public life. It truly shows how genuine their belief in their life’s work must be !

What are some potential blind spots for introverts ?

Not everything about being an introvert is great, of course there are some weaknesses.

The world we live in is mostly centered around extroverts. They are some of the loudest people who are unafraid to speak their mind, so their ideas tend to be heard and acted on more.

Remember how I explained I was going to school in the era when group work was starting to become extremely valued? This is of course a highly efficient way of working for extroverts, hence why it has become so widespread.

But no one has really stopped to question if this is an efficient way of working for introverts?

Since being an extrovert is seen as the “right way” in society, many introverts will go against their values and make choices against themselves in order to fit in and prove to others they can be like extroverts too.

It can also be a struggle for introverts to find friends or partners because they hate small talk so much. Introverts can harness extremely deep relationships once they meet someone, but the idea of going out to meet someone can seem like an insurmountable task.

The biggest blindspot is that an introvert is often too afraid to speak up. They can spend a whole meeting just thinking about what everyone is saying, and never speak their own opinion, even if they believe theirs is more valuable.

However when introverts do speak, people tend to listen. Introverts aren’t going to scream the first thought in their mind. They are going to really think about something before they speak. Therefore the words that come out of their mouth are going to be much more thoughtful and powerful to those listening.

So, how can an introvert harness their true natural powers ?

In today’s overstimulated world it is important for an introvert to carve out alone time. It is so easy to fill our time with other people and events.

The most productive time for an introvert, is the time they spend alone. Time alone does not include time on social media or time listening to podcasts. This is an easy way to fill your time. If you are looking to be more productive, carve out purposeful alone time into your schedule !

Some may say that overthinking and worrying about detail too much, might be a bad thing. However this overthinking can be utilized as a great skill. An eye for detail can lead to high quality products and results.

You don’t need to overthink and go on a downward spiral, but you can make sure your eye for detail is creating something with extreme quality!

What I am about to share has been my most useful way of harnessing my introvert power recently.

It's simple.

JOURNAL! This is such an effective way of going deep within your mind and your thoughts. It will make you become more in touch with your creative side. It will clear the messy thoughts and bring the positive ones to light!

A daily journaling practice will give you time everyday to harness your true introverted power !

Harnessing your natural abilities will take you far. Go deep within yourself, and get creative !

Thank you for reading my first Her Twenties Newsletter ! I will be releasing them every Sunday! If you read this far, DM me on instagram to let me know!

We can survive this quarter-life crisis together, by finding the beauty within the uncertainty of life.

Have a beautiful day!

xoxo Ailish