Key Tips To Become Independent As An Introvert

Introverts usually thrive in the realms of business, the arts, public administration, science, research, and many more industries. There are many people who are introverts, but they also succeed in terms of communication, relationships, and careers. To be independent and successful, you need to able to know how to identify whether you’re an introvert or not and be well-versed on how to cope with the nature of being an introvert in case you are one. First, you need to know what an introvert is before building key habits to becoming an independent introvert.

What Is An Introvert?

Introverts are usually thought of to be very reserved, shy, quiet, and intellectual. In reality, an introvert is a personality type, which means that people with this kind of personality usually prefer focusing on their own thoughts and ideas. People with this personality type draw energy from spending time with just a few people, if not being alone altogether. Large groups and crowds simply drain the energy off of people with this kind of personality trait.

Off the bat, introverts simply look like people who avoid going to big parties and socializing with others. However, there’s more to being an introvert, and they can fall into similar patterns with regard to behavior. To evaluate if you or someone is an introvert, here are just some of the traits that you should keep an eye on:

• Introverts usually need a quiet and peaceful environment to focus and concentrate. Noise can be troublesome for introverts.
• From the word itself, introverts are very introspective and reflective. They have more empathy and tend to reflect more on themselves, along with the world around them. Thus, their insights can be very profound.
• Another trait of introverts is that they’re quite self-aware. This means that introverts have a conscious knowledge of their own feelings, desires, character, and motives.
• Being reflective, it’s a habit of introverts to take their time in making a decision.
• Because introverts get easily drained in big social gatherings, they usually feel more comfortable being alone than in a big group. By being alone, they can refuel their energy to do more. On the other hand, being in a huge crowd will just drain the energy of an introvert.
• It’s also within the comfort zone of introverts to prefer writing instead of talking to people.
• Introverts also keep a few close friends whom they trust the most compared to extroverts who have lots of friends.
• Introverts are usually more creative because they’re more imaginative. Since they don’t enjoy working in groups, they can spend more time alone working on creative endeavors.

Being an introvert doesn’t mean you’re helpless. You just need to figure out what works with your personality. There are many ways on how you can still be strong and independent as an introvert. Here are some key tips you should consider:

1. Pick Jobs That Appeal To Introverts

Knowing that you’re an introvert, you should pick jobs and careers that fit your profile. Another way to become independent is to know which kinds of ofa careers support your personality type. According to frugalforless.com, there are certain side hustles and careers that will perfectly fit the personality of introverts, such as freelance writing, being a virtual assistant, graphic design, blogging, and many more. Don’t stop until you find the kind of work that’s perfect for you.

Take for example freelance copywriting, as it’s a job that perfectly fits the personality of an introvert. Writing requires someone to be empathetic and observant, which are strengths of an introvert. In addition to this, writing doesn’t require you to socialize a lot, and you can easily work independently. This is a good setup for introverts because they work best alone compared to being in a group.

2. Know Yourself

As stated by an ancient Greek aphorism, you should “know thyself.” Explore your traits as an introvert. Know why you are the way you are in order to work towards independence. The first step of action and independence is knowing yourself so that you know where to start and how to act on your own traits. Being aware of what makes you unique will help you understand how to curtail negative personality traits and determine the areas that you can improve on to be more independent.

3. Strike A Balance On Social Interactions

As an introvert, you know that you easily get drained during big gatherings and parties. At the same time, you also know that you can recharge by being along and taking some time off for yourself. With that in mind, you have to make adjustments in order to keep being independent and keeping up with social responsibilities.

The arrangements you need to make should fit your introversion. To illustrate this, here’s an example: If you know that you need to go to a party, you need to make your preparations a few days earlier. Spend time alone ahead of the party so that you can recharge and mentally condition yourself to engage in more social interactions than usual. When the day comes that you need to attend a big gathering, you’ll have enough energy to socialize. Then, take the following days off to rest and not see people for a while.

At the same time, to become more independent, you need to know that it’s okay to like spending time by yourself because it’s in your nature. By working in solitude, you can actually work on yourself better. You won’t need to depend on other people, and this will make you even more self-sufficient.

4. Have A Good Eye For Character

Since introverts keep to themselves and have a knack for reflection, they have more time to do observe the people around them. Without all the distractions, they get better insights to see what kind of people they are. Introverts become more aware of the personalities and traits of people that some miss out on.

You need to learn how to use this for your benefit. Having a good insight into the true nature of people gives you the advantage of knowing who to keep in your company. As the saying goes, you’re the average of the five people you’re mostly with. Being a good judge of character will help you out in your personal and professional life. In your personal life, you’ll be able to choose good friends to be with. On the other hand, for your professional life, you’ll be able to have good and skilled people in your team.

In addition to that, introverts are better at noticing not only what you say, but also what you do. You know what they say—actions speak louder than words. A typical introvert can assess someone’s body language and facial expressions better than extroverts, and this makes them better at building interpersonal communication, thus making them more independent.

5. Practice Good Decision Making

As mentioned, introverts have a habit of thinking about their choices before taking any risks or making any decision. By doing this, introverts can weigh out the advantages and disadvantages properly before taking a leap. To be independent, introverts need to know that thinking about their decisions is actually a good thing. This is an advantage for introverts to become more independent in life by making good choices. By having this kind of behavior, it will also prevent you from making impulsive decisions that will affect your independence. Remember that it’s always better to be safe than sorry.

6. Get Out Of Your Comfort Zone

Being an introvert doesn’t define the entirety of your being. It doesn’t mean that if you’re an introvert, you need to conform with all of the stereotypes. It may be a bit difficult, but to be independent, you need to learn how to get out of your comfort zone. You can do this by adopting traits and behaviors that are opposite to yours. Sometimes, practicing like you’re an extrovert can help you.

Don’t box yourself with the traits of an introvert. You also need to break out of the things that you’re used to in order to grow and become more independent. Get rid of the fear of failure and just do it. This will help you experience events and activities that you haven’t before, which will expand your perspective.

7. Play On Your Strengths

Being reserved or quiet also doesn’t signify that you’re a weak person. As an introvert, you have so much many to offer. Introversion comes with its strengths and perks that can be really useful in the long run. Here are just some of the strengths you can play on to achieve more independence:

• Empathy – Introverts are great listeners. To become independent, you can use that skill to create stronger and deeper connections by providing empathy. With the ability to listen and digest more things, you can capture someone’s emotions more and become more empathetic. By doing this, you can build deeper connections with people as an introvert.
• Self-Sustaining – The thing with introverts is that, as mentioned, they’re very comfortable being alone. This will be very advantageous if you want to be independent because you can keep yourself preoccupied even if you’re alone. Solitude is actually where you draw your strength from. This also creates stronger coping mechanisms because you learn to become more resourceful and self-reliant as an introvert.
• Self-Awareness – A large part of maintaining a healthy mental state is to remain self-aware so that you can regulate your emotions. If you’re an introvert, you’re in luck since this is one of your personality traits. In addition to that, you also get to know yourself even deeper.

These are just some of the strengths of an introvert. Contrary to popular belief, introverts possess a basket full of strengths. Use these strengths to build more meaningful relationships, become independent, and improve yourself.

8. Learn To Let Go

One of the weaknesses of an introvert is to become too immersed in their own thoughts and imaginations as it’s their nature to be reflective and introspective. Don’t let this pull you down and hinder your independence by learning to let go. Your exceptional skills of concentration can turn into a weakness if it becomes too excessive.

By knowing this, you need to be mentally strong and know when to let go of your thoughts. It can be dangerous for you to keep overthinking situations that will lead you to go around in circles. Snap out of it and regain control of your thoughts by learning to let go and focusing on something else. Be in the present moment instead of overthinking about the future or the past.

9. Invest In Self-Care

To become your optimal self and independent, introverts need to take time to do some self-care. There might be instances when you start becoming too overwhelmed. When this happens, retreat and do some self-care rituals. Investing in self-care will maintain a healthy mental space for you to become more independent.

Investing in self-care can be in the form of staying in on a Friday night, reading a book while sipping some tea, or immersing yourself in a new hobby. Working out and exercising is also another way to care for yourself and your well-being. It’s up to you to find what works for you. Some self-care methods that work for others might not work for you. That’s why you need to explore and know yourself so that you can find out what kinds of coping mechanisms and self-care routines you need to establish.

The Bottom Line

Being an introvert is something that you can live with. You just need to know yourself and make any adjustments necessary to live an independent life despite having the traits of an introvert. Arrangements such as striking a balance on social interactions, investing in self-care, and taking time off to reflect on your insights will be your tools to become independent. As an introvert, you possess many strengths, and it’s up to you to utilize those strengths to become independent.