Approximately one in two people are introverts by nature. But, this is not the same as being shy. People who are shy, usually lack the confidence to deal with social situations. Introverts, on the other hand, find social interaction to be emotionally draining. Shy people often shrink from leadership roles whereas introverts generally have good leadership skills.
How introversion can be stressful
In a world that cannot stop talking, introverts find small talk exhausting. Introverts face stress at the workplace as they feel left out, but don’t know how to belong. They are often misunderstood as being aloof and arrogant, but research shows that they are highly empathetic in one-on-one conversations. Introverts have trouble saying 'no' and negotiating, and therefore end up burdened with work. They tend to undersell themselves and do not like to participate in office politics and gossip.
If you are an introvert, you are not alone.Albert Einstein, Manmohan Singh, Kumar Mangalam Birla, Aditya Chopra, Warren Buffet, Hrithik Roshan, and Katrina Kaif have also been known to show classical signs of introversion.
Coping skills
- Most introverts have a high degree of task focus. This can be channelled to your advantage. For example, look at that casual chat over coffee as a daily routine task and it won’t seem so difficult to initiate social interaction.
- Store up (memorise if you need to) a set of witty comments for use in social situations, that is, use icebreakers. (Make sure they are relevant to the context.)
- Assert yourself through written skills. Express yourself through emails and other forms of communication. Most introverts possess good email and phone communication skills.
- Do not try to change yourself. Instead, find a job and environment that suits you.
- If your days are full of meetings and group interactions, give yourself a break by scheduling quiet time at the end of the day.
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