Are you an Introvert or Extrovert? How does that impact your health?

I was always under the impression that an introvert was someone shy and quiet and that an extrovert was loud and talkative. The assumption people made was that in public, I can be chatty and talkative so therefore I must be an extrovert.

I have recently come to understand the term to be this:

◆  Introversion is “the state of or tendency toward being wholly or predominantly concerned with and interested in one’s own mental life” Introverts often take pleasure in solitary activities such as reading, writing, using computers, hiking and fishing.”

◆  Extraversion is “the act, state, or habit of being predominantly concerned with obtaining gratification from what is outside the self”. Extraverts are energized and thrive off of being around other people.” (Wikipedia)

I realised I am both an introvert and an extrovert; It just depends on my mood, my surroundings and how I feel at a particular time. Apparently this is called an Ambivert.

I can be an extrovert when the mood strikes me; I like to be around like minded people and I can be chatty and talkative and I like to engage in conversation. In fact if I’m on my own, I can feel really lonely if I cannot go out and do things and see people and do stuff out of the house.

On the other hand, if I’m out somewhere and there is lots of noise or bright lights, I may become overwhelmed. This often can be when I’m not feeling well, which makes sense, but it’s not always the case. Sometimes I can be feeling fine, but whatever stressors may be taking place in my life at that time, can leave me feeling overwhelmed. When I get like that, I desire and indeed desperately require some alone time, some peace and quiet. No noise, no excessive light, just me and my thoughts and a need for calm and time for self reflection. If I for whoever reason am unable to get those things, invariable my body reacts with headaches, backaches, and extreme fatigue. Pretty much all symptoms that force me into the down time. So I definitely swing between the two. I don’t think its unhealthy; I just need to sometimes find the balance between the two. I try to listen to my body whether I’m up to going out and doing things or I just need some alone time.

Those things are also critical as part of the lifestyle components of the AIP. Time to recharge and rest and switch off from the rat race of life that threatens to invade sometimes. With our phones, iPads, laptops, like is easier, but it also means we live in a right now culture. The email or whatsapp messages that must be responded to immediately. The constant bombardment of the things we must do and strive to achieve in out lives, can leave one worn out and exhausted. Preferably we should wait till we get sick to deal with that, but most people don’t. That’s just a depressing symptom of our rat-rat existence.

So my thoughts are, not everyone fits into the box or introvert or extrovert. I certainly don’t. But then again I have never liked being pigeon holed into a category!

What about you? Are you an introvert or extrovert? Do you think it is related to autoimmune disease?

 

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