Welcome back to the Corona Diaries. I planned to write about new adventures today, since I had a trip to both Ireland and Ohio slated last week, but my sadness of these delayed (former) and cancelled (later) excursions, is winning the day. These trips were part of my 2020 vision.
Instead, I’m writing about introvert life during Safer at Home. You can read my other Corona Diaries inspired by Safer at Home here. There’s a lot of talk that suggests extroverts are struggling harder. And while these feelings are valid, there’s also a lot of misconception that introverts are somehow “winning” quarantine. As if our inner energies are dealing with this crazy pandemic “better” just isn’t true. So, in honor of transparency, here are some misconceptions of introversion, as it applies to Corona life and, yep, regular ol’ life too… Whatever that is.
Idea: Introverts are better adjusted to Corona.
Fact: It’s incredibly isolating for everyone.
Maybe because it’s Mother’s Day, and I could only talk to my family via video chat. Maybe because all my trips are in the abyss of could and would-bes. Or perhaps it’s that I started working from home nearly 2 MONTHS ago. I AM doing fine, overall. And I love this independent lifestyle I’ve worked hard to craft, but I am especially feeling the loneliness today.
I understand Safer at Home is the only solution, right now. By self-isolating and staying at home, we protect the incredible men and women fighting the front-lines. But all human beings need fellow humans, and even places, to survive. And I just miss so many people, places. And so my home has become more than a sanctuary, it’s become my gym, workplace, and favorite restaurant, all at once.
Idea: Introverts only have a circle of friends.
Fact: When faced with isolation, those friends become every role… Or fade away.
I have so many friends from different areas of my life: camp, college, high school, my boyfriend’s friends, my brother’s friends… I could keep going. Facebook reminds me of that. But I only have a small circle of very close friends, that is true.
So when stuck in isolation, I fear that I put too much pressure on a few people. Maybe this is something I’ve always unconsciously done, and isolation is bringing it to the forefront. As an introvert, perhaps I put too high of standards on those I’m closest to? I don’t necessarily think my friends should follow my ideologies, passions, and ethics, but I do hope they have their own compass. So I need to respect boundaries of space and time, work and play. I need to learn how to be objective in my needs, too: namely, check-ins and communications. And I need to see that too much or too little can result in friends fading.
Idea: Introverts can handle the lack of external stimuli.
Fact: There is SO MUCH stimuli everywhere.
One of the key realities of being an introvert is that my energy comes from my own ideas, 1:1 conversations, or deep analysis from a trusted source. It does NOT come from memes, trolls on the Internet, or yet another “how we’re helping” article or webinar. And so despite constantly being at home, I still feel tired.
Perhaps because I’m in marketing, but I see information overload. The costs of increased content are misinterpretation, audiences and authorship becoming larger (but not necessarily smarter), and nonchalance. As both a content creator and user, it’s frankly exhausting to sort through media, especially when it’s socially curated instead of backed by research. Not everyone’s an author, and that’s okay! But social media make it easy to “curate” content.
Now, I recognize that I’m privileged to still have my job, WiFi to pen these “Corona Diaries” and watch Tiger King, friends to meet for virtual happy hour, and the ability to go on plan adventures. But as an introvert, I am still struggling. Maybe my words can help you: everyone is facing Corona in some way. It’s a very real pandemic, impacting millions. So I urge you to use your talents today, but if you’re feeling down, know you are not alone. There’s someone (spoiler alert: it’s me) rooting for you. Leave a comment if you want to give or receive some encouragement!