Open letter to an introvert

Foggy reflection

Hey there,

How are you? I know most people ask this question without really wanting to hear your answer. But I’m interested. How’s school or work going? Do you have any fun and fulfilling hobbies? I hope things haven’t been too overwhelming for you. I hope you’re getting the quiet time you need.

You’re a pretty interesting person and although not everyone will understand you, that’s okay. Don’t feel pressured to conform to how society thinks you should act. You have a special way of viewing and interacting with the world. You notice the small things others don’t. You have the ability to appreciate the world on a deeper level. This is a gift.

Don’t worry if you need quiet time after a busy day. For an introvert, that’s perfectly normal. There’s nothing wrong with you. People will sometimes accuse you of being rude, snobby, or uncaring. But in reality, we care deeply. It’s hard to articulate the depth of our feelings. How do you voice emotion using mere words?

I want you to know you aren’t alone. I’m cheering for you (quietly on the sidelines) as you face your struggles and grow as an individual. Some may accuse us of being weak, but the truth is the opposite. Having to push through adversity makes us stronger, and living in an extroverted society creates plenty of opportunities for growth. You have so many incredible strengths.

Don’t be afraid to push past your comfort zone, learn new things, and embrace new experiences.  You can always take some alone time afterwards to reflect. Just make sure you have enough energy to enjoy the experiences you’re engaging in. Also, please don’t feel guilty for taking quiet time to recharge. Looking after yourself isn’t selfish.

Looking forward to hearing back from you and I hope you have a great rest of the week!

Take care,
Ally

I also wanted to share a quick update with everyone.

I recently submitted an article to Introvert Dear and it was published today! You can check it out here if you’re interested. I wrote about some of my struggles growing up as a quiet introvert. I was inspired by Lauren, one of the writers I follow on here. Her post is about having ‘Resting Sad Face‘ and I really enjoyed reading it. So go check hers out too!

Image credit: “04-09-08_1” by Steve is licensed under CC by 2.0

18 thoughts on “Open letter to an introvert”

  1. auroraroschen says:
    Reply

    Beautiful letter. ❤

    My favorite parts: "Don’t worry if you need quiet time after a busy day. For an introvert, that’s perfectly normal. There’s nothing wrong with you… Make sure you have enough energy to enjoy the experiences you’re engaging in. Also, please don’t feel guilty for taking quiet time to recharge. Looking after yourself isn’t selfish."

    I haven't been taking the time I need to recharge, and as a result, I have been short-tempered this week, and I have been experiencing chest pain for the past two days. This chest pain is not uncommon for me in times of severe stress – I give myself acute angina from being stressed out. Really healthy, right? Better to hurt some people's feelings and take the time I need to recharge rather than giving myself chest pain.

    How are you doing? How would you answer your own open letter?

    Liked by 1 person

    • Ally says:
      Reply

      Thank you so much, that means a lot to me. The idea for writing this letter came because I’ve been trying (yet again) to find balance. It makes you realize that a lot of others are experiencing the same kinds of thoughts and feelings as you are.

      Oh no, that’s terrible 😦 I also struggle with knowing when I should say something VS staying quiet (my default). My motivation is usually fear of offending someone or saying something that will push others away. I also expect the worst possible reaction, when in reality, most people are usually pretty chill.

      Thank you for asking 🙂 I’m doing fairly well. Work is picking up and getting busier as the year comes to a close. I enjoy my work but it’s definitely quite draining (dealing with clients by phone and in-person). I’m still loving my workouts (endorphins and confidence is great). Other hobbies include experimenting with recipes and light reading. Probably average amount of overwhelm but I’m not getting the quiet time I need. Going to start using my planner and scheduling it in again.

      Hope you have a great rest of the week and a lovely weekend!

      Liked by 2 people

  3. twainwall says:
    Reply

    Great post on “Introvert Dear” Ally, I read it earlier on before I signed in here, congratulations. 🙂
    I sometimes struggle because of being an INTJ, other peoples emotions elude me or I tend to miss them, I guess it can be hard on some of the small group of personal close friends that I have – even now!
    Great idea to write an open letter to an introvert, thoughtful and a really good thing to do. 🙂
    Hope you have a good day and week too! 😉

    Liked by 3 people

    • Ally says:
      Reply

      Thank you for your kind words. I’m very grateful for my own circle of friends – they put up with all my idiosyncrasies and quirks, but at the same time, I don’t mind doing the same for them 😉

      Liked by 1 person

  7. thecoffeebeanbrain says:
    Reply

    a well written letter to fellow introverts. Yes, the times can be rough in an extroverted world. I felt that for the last two years of taking my time to recharge after being an ‘extrovert’ all my life. I felt like I came out of chaos and embraced solitude with such sweet freedom. I’m glad blog land has so much of us here connecting with one another post after post. 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

  8. Bart Leahy says:
    Reply

    Howdy, Ally!

    Greetings from yet another introvert. Keep doing what you’re doing. We appreciate it.

    In response to the actual letter, I’ve been freelancing for nearly three years, which gives me tremendous flexibility in the amount of “people time” I have: work from home or work from a coworking space that emphasizes a peaceful environment. As a writer, I find that I need a non-talking workspace, as extraneous words can otherwise filter into my brain. That’s why I keep the ear buds on hand and the non-vocal music playing. Under pressure, I’ll stay home and not even play music at all if I’m under “crunch time.”

    On the whole, I’d say that I get more respect for my solitude at work than in my personal life (“Why aren’t you dating?”), if only because people understand that I need quiet to write. So it goes. Self-acceptance, regardless of external opinions, is a beautiful thing.

    /b

    Liked by 1 person

    • Ally says:
      Reply

      Thank you so much for the encouragement! That sounds like a really wonderful work arrangement. So flexible and you can choose your environment based on your needs. I can imagine that quiet is pretty essential for writing 😉

      Ah yes, those personal questions can get pretty annoying. There are just some things that shouldn’t be asked or said. Thank you for your comment, I really appreciate hearing some of your own experiences.

      Hope you have a great rest of the week!

      Liked by 1 person

  9. learnwithpoems says:
    Reply

    Great letter, and it does resonate with me at so many levels, Thankfully I always had my parents to support me and shield me even when all my family and lot of other people called me names….they didn’t let it effect me in any way and dint let it shatter my confidence, and I learned to deal with it eventually, now I find strength in who I’m and what I have become and will become, looking at all the virtues I have and using them to make my life better.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Ally says:
      Reply

      Thank you! I’m so happy you had that support growing up. It makes all the difference if we have someone that supports us regardless of what others may say. We definitely have a lot of positive strengths. Thank you for commenting 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

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