3 signs your social battery is drained & 6 ways to recharge it
As an anxious introvert, I really enjoy my time alone and require a certain amount of it every week LOL. I don’t hate social gatherings, I actually enjoy them, but when I’m done, I’m done; I’ll just feel drained and start being anxious. Also, it’s worst when I’m somewhere with people I don’t really resonate with, I always like it better when I’m with friends with whom I feel completely like myself and don’t need a social battery. Ask me why or how my best friend’s the biggest extrovert I know, I won’t be able to answer, I mean actually how did her and I ended up being this close?? She’s so outgoing and she likes meeting people, I on the other side, am anxious about meeting people. I do have social anxiety which doesn’t help my case but it quite literally makes my social battery go down as fast as an iPhone.
3 signs your social battery is drained
- Forcing yourself
That’s literally my first sign, when I feel like I’m starting to force myself to answer, react or talk with the people around, that’s when I know my ass should be on my way. When I’m not feeling like my own self completely and that I HAVE to react, or be there, I know my social battery’s around a good 5%.
- Social gatherings make you roll your eyes
For a lot of people, their social battery takes more time to drain, but when you’ve had multiple gatherings and the thought of going to one makes you almost angry, maybe it’s time you take a little bit of time for yourself.
- You’re tired
Of course being tired can be the conclusion for a lot of things, but it can also be a sign you’re socially drained. When you’re just exhausted of whoever’s around you and just feel like your energy’s really fucking low. Being tired doesn’t only mean you need sleep, sometimes it means gaining back this energy by not being around certain people too much.
6 ways to recharge it
- Alone time
Of course, I mean what else? It’s you time, take it and enjoy it. Take yourself on a date and enjoy it, or stay at home and relax, do some self-care, get some silence around you for now.
Alone time always helps me, it just relaxes me and gives me an amazing peace of mind. It’s like relaxing my mind as much as my body relaxes when I’m sleeping.
For the people who don’t really like to be alone, maybe you’re scared to be but don’t, it can only make you discover yourself and in the end make you feel better.
- Surround yourself with peace
Some people are just socially draining; what I realised is that I am mostly drained when I’m surrounded by people I don’t completely go with. We just don’t completely get each other and it can make me feel like I have to prove who I am and that’s what’s draining. So if you know someone that brings your social battery under 15% in little time, then they may not be the right people for you, which is okay by the way. We can’t be everyone’s people and usually, not being made for another person and still trying to force it, will exhaust you.
- Take a deep breath
If you can’t leave X event/social gathering, then take a moment. Either go outside or in a restroom and take three long deep breaths. Remember the reason you’re there and your boundaries cause they’re important. Know that it won’t last forever and think about how much you’re going to enjoy your alone time after.
Try not to stay with people you don’t connect with because it won’t help you. Look around for people that resonate with who you are.
What’s very important is that you respect your boundaries, that’s how you recharge your battery, because by not respecting them, you’re not helping yourself. If you’re not sure what your boundaries are, I think it’s time you do a lot of inner work and start being in touch with the real authentic you.
- Selfcare
In all the possible ways (except the social one). You create, you rest, you move, you do everything that makes you even the slightest happy.
It’s like you’re being there for yourself and you’re making yourself at peace. If you need some ideas about what kind of self-care to do, I suggest you go read my selfcare post.
- Silence your head
Don’t go on social medias for a little while today, just be you and be in the present moment. Sit back and look around, you need to disconnect and take a look at the real world. Social medias drain our social batteries so much it’s crazy. All that comparison and seeing only the surface of people’s lives is just exhausting at times. That’s why you should take a walk, no phone, or just a two-three hours of leaving your phone in your room and doing something else. Put your energy & your mind on other important matters. Which brings me to my next point.
- Don’t take your energy for granted
YOU decide where you put your energy, YOU decide to whom you give this energy, YOU decide what you do with it. Sometimes we think we owe it to put our energy somewhere but the truth is, we don’t. Not everybody deserves your time, yet you give it out like it’s nothing but time is not nothing, neither is your energy. Choose wisely and remember, what do these things/people bring you? Not in a selfish way but in a way that, would they give the same or ARE THEY giving the same amount?
It’s a precious thing, and if you decide and take healthy decision for you on the long term, your social battery won’t ALWAYS be low.
It is so important to take care of our social battery because it’s what makes us able to show up everyday and be more at peace with ourselves. If we’re always mentally drained either by events, people or life, we won’t have time to step back and enjoy it. So you start taking care of that social battery of yours and understand that we all have our limits they’re all different but we need to respect them; to respect ourselves. If you don’t feel like going X place, then don’t and recharge it’ll give you more positive effect long term than going to whatever event you didn’t even want to go in the first place (I’m talking to the people who are socially exhausted not the ones who are just never looking to get out of their comfort zone). Now please, take care of yourself and don’t forget to have fun while doing it, it’s the most important part.
Brb, I’m going to have a big ass shower and relax because I am DRAINED and my eyes are actually starting to be fucking heavy LOL.
Mwah.
