PREVIOUS: Growth #2

SITEs: 56 Best Jobs for Introverts, by sub-type

BOOKs: The Highly Sensitive Person ~ Elaine Aron
• The Biological Basis of Personality ~Hans J. Eysenck

HELPFUL SUGGESTIONS (cont.)
9. Go BEYOND your Comfort Zone

10. Identify your Cognitive DISTORTIONS (CDs)
Is are just as susceptible to distorted thinking as Es, which has nothing to do with temperament. If you’re prone to being emotionally flooded because of CDs, such as B & W thinking, personalizing, catastrophizing, over-generalizing…..you can be held back in life.
🔆 Learn about them, notice when they crop us, & then correct them, a little at a time.

11. Identify your EMOTIONS
Is need time to process emotions privately, but also to share them with someone who’s trustworthy.  To reduce denial, learn to identify Emotions so you know what you’re feeling. Give yourself permission to experience them all, without judgment, finding healthy ways to handle them internally & then express them safely.

• You can have a wide range of emotions – not just the ‘acceptable’ ones – without violating your values, & continue pursuing your goals (actions), no matter what your emotions are. Being able to manage them well can make it easier to deal with difficult relationship, or to work things out when others disappoint or act out on you

12. KNOW your I variation
Introverts (& Es too) come in different ‘natural flavors’ ➡️, and each types has its own 4 MBTI level combination formed into a STACK, showing different proportions & orders of preference ↙️
EXP: The order of preference for an ISTJ in their ‘stack’ is based on the 2 middle levels (ST), from strongest to least ‘natural’ (More….)
And be sure you know the difference between I-ness & insecurity – so you’ll feel better about yourself. Confident people are : comfortable with their traits & abilities, are not afraid to admit limitations & know they’re generally liked by others – which has nothing to do with being E or I.

14. Practice SMALL TALK
Is often think that small talk is stupid & incredibly useless, even tiring. Their mind & emotions work differently than Es, preferring to stick to ‘big’ concepts & ideas. That’s okay, but ⭐︎ small talk is an important part of greasing the wheels of social interactions.
Most people are not ready or willing to ‘go deep’ at first or second contact – which is appropriate. It takes time to get to know others, & that means sharing ‘light’ interests first – to find compatibilities, & where you’re human like everyone else. If you do get along with someone, then you can try having the kind of conversations you enjoy.

13. PLAN ahead to rest after an event
Too often, Is get sucked in to over-doing at social events, to please family & friends – who are mostly Es!
OR – you may have done too many things while on vacation, or spent long hours on a business trip.

In the after-math of exhaustion on these occasion – you may decide to stay home in future.
Instead, it would be better to not limit your opportunities.  Set a preferred time-limit on group activities. Let people know what you need – & stick to it.
If you think they’ll be hurt or judge you for leaving early, explain what it means to be an I, & then take care of yourself.
Always PLAN ahead for down-time after each event to recharge your batteries.

15. QUALITY vs Quantity
Es tend to judge Is by the number of friends they have, but Is truly prefer spending quality time with only 1 or 2 close ones. Their friendships have a different flavor than that of most Es.
Uninformed people try to push Is into getting “out there more”, which adds to the unfair treatment & pain similar to what they grew up with. If you feel okay with the number of friends you have, ignore well-meaning people who think they’re being helpful.  There’s no right or wrong – only individual preferences.

16. Take time to RECOVER from disappointments
All of life includes setbacks from time to time, & this includes the path to success. When things don’t work out as expected or how you’d like, as a positive Introvert you can be fair & patient with yourself.
▪︎ First take the time to get over the frustration, anger & sadness.
▪︎ Then assess what happened – what’s your responsibility & what’s not, without self-recrimination.
👏🏼 Then – keep going !

NEXT: Introvert Children