More Time To Recharge
March 31, 2013 § 4 Comments
As an introvert, I know that I need a lot of alone time. I’ve started to realize that I need to give myself even more alone time than normal after stressful weeks at work or multiple social events back to back.
A few weeks ago, I had a very stressful week. I had multiple days where I worked late. I also had to train someone and by the end of the week, I was exhausted and my energy level was so low that I could barely keep a thought in my head. I spent that Friday evening and Saturday morning sleeping and relaxing. Saturday afternoon/evening I spent time with my family and friends and I was out until early Sunday morning. I woke up on Sunday and I needed to run errands but I was so drained that I couldn’t do anything. I hadn’t recovered enough from my stressful week and I added to my low energy level by socializing for several hours on Saturday. I ended up spending all of Sunday recovering and I didn’t start to feel energized until the Tuesday of that week.
I realize that I need to get better at scheduling alone time and allowing my mind and body to recharge properly after stressful weeks at work. I also feel like I need to schedule only one or two social events per week but not on the same day. It’s important for me to be more mindful of how I’m feeling and to give myself permission to say no to events so that I can recharge myself.
As an introvert, do have trouble scheduling alone time? What is your favorite way to recharge?
The best and worst of 2012
January 1, 2013 § Leave a Comment
Even though it is the first day of 2013, I’m going to review the best and the worst of 2012. 2012 was a difficult year for me so I’m glad that it’s over and I’m looking forward to better experiences this year.
The Worst of 2012
This year I had to let go of a few of my friendships and this was a sad and painful experience. There are some friends that I no longer have anything in common with and our lives have gone in different directions. I had been holding on to these relationships because I don’t take friendship lightly but in the end it was best to let things go.
Another event that was difficult for me in 2012 was that my mom found a tumor in one of her breasts. She had to have immediate surgery followed by radiation treatment. Fortunately, the tumor had not spread and there is no evidence of cancer in other parts of her body. Seeing my mom sick made me realize how much I should treasure the short time that we have with the people we love.
The Best of 2012
By far, the best thing that happened in 2012 was the progress that I’ve made in my studies as a translator. I’ve completed the majority of my courses and I will complete my program by this summer. I also attended seminars and events related to the translation industry and I have a lot of goals/plans for myself. I began volunteering as a translator in 2012 as well and that has allowed me to gain more experience.
I discovered a new hobby by creating memory books. I use a book called Smashbook and it’s been a lot of fun to combine my love of journaling with photos and other memorabilia.
2013
I’ve decided not to make any resolutions for the New Year. I read this blog post and it sums up how I feel about making New Year’s resolutions. I will continue to focus on the career goals/plans that I set for myself last year and I will take things day by day.
Emotions List: Birth
October 11, 2012 § 3 Comments
I found a list of 100 writing prompts on emotions here and I’ve decided to write blog posts on each of these emotions. The first “emotion” on the list is Birth. In my first blog post, I wrote how I tested at 100% introvert on the Myers-Briggs test, which makes me an extreme introvert. Since I am so introverted, I often wonder if I was born an introvert or if I’ve become a more introverted person from life experiences.
My parents often tell me stores about how I was quiet and reserved around strangers even as an infant. I only wanted to be held by my parents and I was uncomfortable around their friends. I even have baby photos of their friends holding me and I always look like I’m about to cry. As a child, I enjoyed one and one activities and I never liked group activities. This meant that going to child birthday parties or large social events was something that I didn’t look forward to doing. As much as I preferred to be around my immediately family, I still needed my own space and moments of solitude.
From elementary through high school I was bullied and I had difficulty forming friendships with others. These experiences had a profound impact on my life and they have a lot to do with how I interact with others even today. Being bullied made me withdraw deeper inside myself because of the hurt and pain that I was going through. I learned to embrace being alone and to trust only myself. Since I had difficulty making friends, I learned that not everyone is going to accept me for the person that I am. I take my time getting to know others and I’m not immediately trusting of everyone.
I believe that my introverted personality started at birth but that I probably became even more introverted because of my life experiences. Regardless of the reasons, I’m learning to accept myself more and more each day.
Do you think you were born an introvert or have life experiences also played a part in shaping your personality?
I Hate Working In A Cubicle
September 19, 2012 § 6 Comments
English: An image of a lot of cubicles that seem to go on forever (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
When I started working at my job, we didn’t have cubicles and I loved it! The floor had been designed with small offices that held one or two people. I shared an office with one other person and we were both quiet people who concentrated on our work. Last year, a decision was make to tear down some of the offices and turn the space into cubicles. My officemate and I were forced to move into cubicles and since then, it’s been difficult for me to adjust to my work environment.
I hate the fact that you have no privacy when you work in a cube. Everyone can see your computer screen and they can also hear your phone conversations. This makes it impossible to have discrete conversations. I work with sensitive accounting information. What I’m working on and the phone conversations that I have about my work should be private.
It’s also very noisy where I work. I sit by people who are loud talkers and insist on putting their phones on speaker each time they get a call. I also sit by a person who sings out loud, which is rude. I listen to music in my earphones to try and drown out the other noise but there are days when this doesn’t help. I miss the days when I could close my office door and drown out all of the noise.
Another aspect of working in a cubicle that I dislike is that I always feel like I’m being watched. My direct supervisor works in a different location and I feel that the other managers in my location are constantly walking by to “check” on me and my other coworkers even though we turn in our work on time and never miss deadlines.
Ideally, I would love to work in an environment where I had my own personal space. I feel like it would help me to be more productive if I worked in a quieter work area.
I am a Highly Sensitive Person
August 19, 2012 § 1 Comment
I am currently reading “The Highly Sensitive Person: How to Thrive When the World Overwhelms You” by Elaine N. Aron, Ph.D. According to Wikipedia, a “highly sensitive person (HSP) is a person having the innate trait of high psychological sensitivity.” I’ve always felt that I was more sensitive than other people to noise, touch, emotions, and moods. I read this book a few years ago and at the time I was trying to “find a cure” for this trait because I really felt that I was overly sensitive about things and I felt that something was wrong with me. This time I’m reading this book to be more accepting of myself. I want to understand this trait and to view this trait in a more positive way. Each chapter of this book has different exercises that you can do to help you reflect and I plan to share some of my reflections on this blog.
There is a self-test at the beginning of the book that asks 23 true or false questions to help you identify with whether or not you are a HSP. I answered true to 20 questions. According to the test instructions, if you answer true to 12 or more questions then you are likely a highly sensitive person. There are many traits that are listed in the self-test that make me a highly sensitive person but the traits that I’ll speak about below are the ones that I strongly identify with
- I seem to be aware of subtleties in my environment – I always pick up on very subtle changes in my environment that most people don’t seem to notice at all. I’m very attuned to what is going on around me even when I don’t seem like I am.
- Other people’s moods affect me – This is a huge trait for me and it’s something that I have to deal with everyday. I take in the moods of others and when someone is in a negative or a really bad mood then it affects my mood in a negative way. In order to maintain my own mood, I try to stay away from people who are constantly angry or bitter because I know that their moods will affect me too much.
- I tend to be very sensitive to pain – I can’t take a lot of pain and something as simple as a paper cut can feel very painful. Whenever I got to the doctor, and especially to the dentist, I have to make them aware of my sensitivity to pain.
- I have a rich, complex inner life – I live in my head and this is where my creativity and deep thought comes from.
- I am made uncomfortable by loud noises – Loud noises really bother me and this probably explains why I have a fear of thunder.
- I am deeply moved by the arts or music - There is a deep sensation that I feel when I visit a museum, see a dance, or listen to music. There is a profound connection that I make with art and music.
- I startle easily – I’ve always know this about myself but I was not aware that this had something to do with me being a HSP.
- Being very hungry creates a strong reaction in me, disrupting my concentration or mood – This is another trait that I didn’t know had something do with me being a HSP. I’ve always said that I must have my meals on time and when I don’t eat at a certain time then I get very, very angry. This is one of the reasons why I always keep crackers at my desk in case I’m not able to each lunch on time.
My ideas usually come not…
August 6, 2012 § 2 Comments
My ideas usually come not at my desk but in the midst of living – Anais Nin
Daily Solitude
July 5, 2012 § 1 Comment
Since March 2011, I have been working full-time and studying as well. When I leave work I rush home to start homework and I no longer have time for myself. I’ve been feeling stressed and anxious because I don’t have a lot time for reflection and true solitude. Daily moments of solitude are critical for me as an individual. Solitude helps to rejuvenate my spirit especially when I’m feeling drained. It’s my time for reflection and deep thought. I’m able to focus and solve problems. It’s also the time when I’m most creative.
In June, I made the decision to take a break from classes for the summer so I could rest and relax. Everyday I come home , I turn off my phone and my computer, and I spend hours writing and creating art. This is the happiest I’ve felt in a long time.
