Introversion is a Thing

Introversion is a Thing

‘I didn’t even know introversion was really a thing’, a comment I received recently as I was telling someone about my business. I have been an introvert my whole life yet until I started researching this area, I had really never considered its’ impact, so how can I expect someone who is not introverted to pay it any attention at all. This is why I feel this work is necessary both to support Introverts themselves but also to create awareness surrounding personality differences and their impact on our personal and professional lives.

So, here are 5 reasons why Introversion is a thing:

1.      Introversion and Extroversion are genetic personality traits. While anyone can learn new skills and behaviours your natural temperament is something you are born with. If you are an Introvert who has developed excellent public speaking skills you will still want to retreat to your room afterwards to recharge. An extrovert might be energised and feel like socialising after the experience. Susan Cain, author of Quiet says, after she does a talk, she retreats to her hotel room, orders room service and watches the BBC.

2.      Introverts and Extroverts are wired differently. Dr. Marti Olsen Laney tells us that introverts have extended neural pathways that meander through long term memory and planning functions. When an Introvert experiences something it automatically gets related back to past experiences and stored information. This is why it can take Introverts a little longer to process information and in turn respond.

3.      Introverts are more responsive to dopamine. Dopamine is the chemical linked to rewards. When the anticipation of something good such as positive feedback, or socialising with friends happens dopamine is released. The challenge for Introverts is we are very sensitive to dopamine and can get overwhelmed very easily. This is why Introverts can get burnt out at social functions, not because we are not social but we can just get overstimulated.

4.      There are four types of Introverts. There is still much confusion as to what defines introversion and extroversion and peoples’ experiences don’t seem to match with official definitions. Psychologist Jonatheen Cheek and colleagues have put forward the acronym ‘STAR’ to summarise the four types of Introverts; Social, Thinking, Anxious and Restrained. Social Introverts which is what I would describe myself as, enjoy meeting and learning about new people but prefer smaller groups instead of large ones or enjoy lots of solitude. This is different from shyness in that it is a preference for time alone or in small groups rather than an inability to socialise in that way. The Thinking Introverts differ in that they can also be quite social but tend to be thoughtful and introspective, getting lost in a fantasy world and very creative. The Anxious Introvert may feel very self-conscious and awkward around people with a tendency to over think and even catastrophise events. I met a gentleman who felt unable to take a new job because it was in an open plan office and others would hear him on the phone. The Restrained Introvert moves at a slower pace, both in how they physically move, how they speak and react. They take their time before speaking. I had a friend in school who I would describe as reserved yet she could be far more social than me in larger groups.

5.        Heightened Sensitivity to the environment can make it challenging for Introverts to work. 70% of introverts are considered highly sensitive. This term devised by Elaine Aron in the 1990’s refers to how aware we are of our environment. It’s impact at work is sensitivity to noise, smells, bright lights, and space. This is why the open plan office doesn’t work well for Introverts.

With up to 50% of the population demonstrating introverted tendencies there are a lot more of us out there than you might think. In January I will be running a workshop over three evenings in Cork focused on skills and strategies that Introverts can develop to succeed in any professional setting. This is an introvert friendly small group setting with only 10 places so book fast.