introvert hangover

How to Cure Your Introvert Hangover

11 May 2020 | by Cindy Johns

Do you know what an introvert hangover is? Chances are, if you’re an introvert, you’ve been experiencing them your whole life. Introvert hangovers usually happen after long stretches of uninterrupted people time. If you haven’t had time to unwind and recharge with the quiet time that all introverts crave, you may begin to feel symptoms like:

  • You become severely irritable and short-tempered. I’m talking about getting annoyed at the colour of your bedroom wall. Irrationally irritable.
  • A complete lack of energy. We all lack energy at times, but an introvert hangover will have you wanting to hibernate under your covers for days.
  • The inability to make a decision. You’ll spend hours mulling over the most straightforward thing like ‘should I have peanut butter or jam on my toast?’ and once you decide that yes, you will have peanut butter, you’re so tired you can’t follow through.
  • It gets hard to string sentences together, and you start speaking even slower than usual. You take long pauses between each word as your mind scrambles to find the right one.
  • You lose all interest in everything around you. Even the people that you usually enjoy talking to become boring to you. You just can’t be bothered.
  • You feel anxious and can’t settle down. Your overthinking brain goes into overdrive, and you feel yourself spiralling into anxiety and overwhelm.

So what do you do when you find yourself in the grip of an introvert hangover? 

Here’s my ritual to cure an introvert hangover:

introvert personal space

Create some personal space

I tell everyone that I’m taking some time out to recharge. Because I’m honest and open about my introvert needs, my friends and family understand what I mean when I tell them I need to be alone. I decided long ago that I would not deny my introversion but instead embrace it and give myself whatever I needed to thrive. I make no apologies for needing quiet time and the people who love me give me my space when I ask for it.

How to make it work for you

We don’t always have a lot of space to retreat to when we need alone time, but there are some easy ways you can create personal space, no matter how small your home is:

You could take a bath or create a self-care ritual. The bathroom is one room in every house where everyone can expect to be left alone. Transform your bathroom into a sanctuary with candles and soft music, whatever you need to feel peaceful.

Invest in some good quality noise-cancelling headphones and talk to the people you live with. Let them know that if you’re wearing the headphones it means you’re taking time to recharge and need privacy. View those headphones as your personal “do not disturb” sign.

If you communicate your needs clearly with those around you, they will understand and give you the space you need. There is no reason to hide your introversion or pretend you’re ok when you’re not. Embrace who you are and care for yourself and your needs.

introvert essential oils

Invite beauty

Whatever space I have, I invite some beauty in by dimming the lights, lighting some candles and diffusing essential oils. My favourite blends are:

  • Lemongrass and Vetiver. Vetiver is grounding and calms anxious feelings while lemongrass clears energy and helps you let go of whirling thoughts.
  • Eucalyptus and Bergamot. Eucalyptus is soothing and balances emotions while bergamot is uplifting.

How to make it work for you

What feels beautiful to you? If you love flowers then bring a bunch of your favourites into your space. Experiment with which essential oils you like. There are many aromatherapist designed blends you could purchase or try blending a few of your own to create a signature scent.

You could light candles or simply dim the lights to create ambience and give your tired eyes a rest. Throw on your most comfortable pair of pyjamas and snuggle into your favourite pillow. The idea here is to nourish your soul, so create a space that is filled with the things you find beautiful, and that allows you to relax and replenish your energy.

yoga nidra

Yoga Nidra

I have a fantastic meditation app I use called Insight Timer. I love it because it gives me access to an extensive library of meditations that I can call on whenever I need to calm my mind. When I’m dealing with an introvert hangover, my go-to meditation is the ancient practice of Yoga Nidra.

Why do I love it? Because Yoga Nidra is the most profound state of relaxation you can reach while remaining conscious. Your body is completely relaxed, and you are guided to tune into your inner world by directing each of your senses inward. It’s been said that 20 minutes of Yoga Nidra is like 4 hours of deep sleep. And it’s total bliss! I’m always energised and ready to rejoin my life after a Yoga Nidra session.

The insight timer app has a wealth of Yoga Nidra meditations for everything from relieving stress to helping you sleep. The meditations are free, and the app is available for Android and Apple smartphones.

How to make it work for you

Head to the app store on your smartphone and download the Insight Timer. Browse through the apps different topics and choose a meditation that you feel will help you. If you’re feeling anxious you could find a short meditation to ease anxiety. Or if you’re desperate for a good nights sleep choose one to help insomnia.

Settle yourself into the space you’ve created for yourself. Grab your noise-cancelling headphones and make yourself as comfortable as you can. Now you’re ready for a blissful Yoga Nidra session that will soothe your ragged edges and have you feeling brand new in no time.

The best cure for an introvert hangover is prevention

So that’s how I cure my introvert hangover. Of course, the best cure is always prevention, and the best way to prevent an introvert hangover is to take care of your energy needs. You can do this by:

  • Scheduling regular quiet time, daily if possible.
  • Practising self-care.
  • Establishing routines and rituals that help you let go of stagnant or negative energy.

Being an introvert is awesome

There’s so much to love about being an introvert. We can achieve extraordinary things, as long as we pay attention to our needs and do what we need to stay positive and full of energy.

How do you cure your introvert hangover? Leave us a comment below and share your tips with our readers.

1 Comment

  1. Janno Tüli

    4th January 2022 at 5:51 AM

    Thank You for not using any of the blinking features! 🙂

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