Being an introverted person is tough in a world where you are expected to be an extroverted individual. You are expected to be chatty, participating in group discussions, be able to talk your way through anything on the spot… the list just goes on. Others often label you as shy or anti-social when in fact you just prefer to focus on the inner world of thought and feeling. To an extroverted person, not all I have said might make any sense, but to an introvert, they are very relatable. If you are an extrovert, I hope this post will give you a better idea of how introverts behave.
The role of a software developer is a perfect match for an introverted person. You enjoy solitude (different from being lonely) and focusing on one thing at a time and your job actually gives you that. Unfortunately, it still really comes down to your work environment. For example, if you are in an open workspace, you may not get any peace and quiet. Then bring in the “expected to be an extroverted person” factor and you find yourself drained before the halfway point of the day.
As an introverted software developer, I struggle with many of the issues an introvert commonly face day-to-day myself. Along the way, I have found some ways for me to cope with an extroverted dominant world. My goal in this post is to share with you some of the ways that I balance between my level of energy throughout the day (some are more specific to an open office space).
Budget Your Energy
You start the day with only so much energy. When you are programming and problem-solving, you are spending a portion of that energy. When you add in the outside stimulation, you will most likely find yourself left with no energy by the end of the day.
The programming and problem-solving part, you may not have as much control over, but you do for the outside stimulation. For example, you can limit how much social interaction you do base on how much work you need to get done. Instead of thinking about a challenging problem you are facing in a noisy environment, find somewhere quiet. Maybe take a quick stroll outside. These things seem minor, but you will notice a big difference in your energy level if you do them (at least for me they do).
Do Not Force Yourself into Social Occasions
Social interaction drains your level of energy fast. If you are invited to a social occasion (party, outing, etc.) event and know there will be lots of people and socializing going on, you may want to kindly decline the offer.
You should consider what you would be doing the next day. For example, if the next day is a workday then you know the social event will leave you tired for work. If the next day was the weekend then you get an opportunity to recharge yourself in solitude.
Schedule Time to Be by Yourself
It is essential for you to allot some time for yourself to recharge daily. When you are in solitude that is when you are recharging.
When you deprive yourself of a time to recharge, you will find yourself working harder to make up for your drop in performance. This is dangerous because you will only work harder and harder to catch up and deprive yourself of time to recharge. Keep up with the catch-up game for a while and you find yourself burnout. If you find yourself in this situation, you can benefit from my post about avoiding burnout as a software developer.
Save the Harder Work for Your Peak Time
Your peak time is when there is a low level of outside stimulation. For example, in an office environment, there are windows when everyone goes to lunch leaving the office empty. This would be one of those times where you can really thrive and do your best work.
Another time when outside stimulation is low is near the end of the day. Most people left the office, leaving you in solitude to do your best work.
In addition, you can boost your overall productivity during your peak time by implementing these productivity tips.
Block out Outside Stimulation
It is not possible to block out completely all outside stimulation, but you can block out some of it. That will help you out greatly in regulating your energy level.
External noises are common in an office, but luckily, it is also one of the easier outside stimulation to block out. You can do this with music and a pair of headphones. Listening to music benefits you by increasing your energy level and productivity.
You can lower the amount of social interaction by scheduling your day to not overlap with many people. For example, you can eat at a time when most people are not. As a bonus, you can use this time to recharge yourself.
I hope this post was helpful for you. If you found it helpful, share it with others (especially introverts you know that are struggling) who can benefit from this post.
Are there other ways you found effective to fit into the extroverted dominant world? Do you have any “odd” experiences with an introvert? Feel free to leave a comment.
Also, to stay in touch you can follow me on twitter.
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