I recently read an article called Introverts and the Home Office: The home office is great for introverts, until it’s not, by Sophia Dembling on the Psychology Today website under the blog The Introvert’s Corner. The article explored the effects of the home office environment on introverts. I felt the article was right on target. On the scale of introvert and extrovert I lean toward the introverted side. I am quite comfortable with my introverted tendencies. I have no trouble working at home from a social standpoint. That is until I do. Such is the life of those on the introverted side of the spectrum.
The article talked about how an introvert could allow weeks to pass by before realizing that he had spent any time with another person. Introverts are comfortable spending time in their own head. This makes working in the isolation of a home environment well suited to them yet that doesn’t make it best for them. Like it or not, humans are social beings even if you are not fond of socializing. The article discussed how an introvert could be come “weird” if left alone to long. You see, just because a person is introverted does not mean he does not get lonely or need social interaction. For introverts the more time they spend alone the harder it is to spend time in a social environment. So, as time progresses in isolation the home office becomes confining and comforting at the same time.
If you find yourself lacking social interaction for a period of time then call a friend and make plans. You will find that getting out is helpful to your outlook and will energize you. To combat going long periods of time without social interaction you can join a gym, a club, find a hobby to share, play a sport, or join a ministry. Find time to be face to face and out in the world. You may feel you do not need that or even want that but it will put you in a better position. If an extrovert misses social interaction he seeks it out because it comes naturally. An introvert does not socialize on a chit chatty way naturally so the lack of social interaction causes him to turn inward. Regardless, the need is there and needs to be nurtured. So get out there and find face to face time outside of Skype or internet connections.