Here’s what experts say extroverts can learn from introverts to improve mental health

There is nothing wrong with living an introverted or extroverted lifestyle. Both options are healthy in various ways, but many introverts can feel judged by extroverts or misunderstood by what they like to do in their free time. Yet, many experts are saying that extroverts can benefit from the very thing introverted people love the most: solo quiet time.

If you’re mostly an outgoing person filled with social activity, you might be feeling in a bit of a rut. The stuff you enjoy doesn’t really hit the joy buzzer as hard as it used to. The rush you get from a dance party is more numb. The feel-good from scrolling and seeing likes on your social media is more of a drag and even a little depressing. If any of this sounds familiar, you might want to incorporate some solo quiet time into your day-to-day life.

- YouTubeyoutu.be

The likely reason why you feel more burnt out or the activities you enjoy aren’t giving you the pleasure you’re used to could be because you’ve become more tolerant of dopamine. Dopamine is a feel-good neurotransmitter that our brains release and rewards us with pleasure. This is why you tend to feel good after having dinner with friends, a drink with your coworkers after a shift, dancing at a party, competing in marathon with thousands of other runners, or gaining more social media followers.

Introverts are highly sensitive to dopamine, so they tend to bow out at social events early because they feel like they’ve had enough. Extroverts, however, can’t get enough of the stuff. Sometimes literally.

- YouTubeyoutu.be

Extroverted people who are constantly overly stimulated by an overpacked social life, high-octane activity, and/or heavy social media use grow a tolerance to dopamine like any other drug. This means that the stuff that usually provides a dopamine hit in the brain becomes less and less effective, making those activities less and less enjoyable over time. The “crashes” between dopamine highs get more extreme, too, which could contribute to depression and anxiety. It’s not unlike any other substance addiction.

However, extroverts can help manage their dopamine levels if they balance it out by doing some solo activities like their introverted counterparts. Quiet solo time can be done in different ways and appear in different forms. It could be going out on a hike by yourself at a park. If you’re not into the outdoors, it could be washing the dishes or focusing on some other chore alone without music or a podcast. It could be spending thirty minutes working on a jigsaw puzzle each day. It could be reading while sipping tea for an hour. It could just be staring out of the window for 15 minutes to mentally wander. Truly, it can be whatever works best to give yourself some peaceful alone time without the interruption of other people or social media notifications.

Incorporating regular times of “boring” activities can actually boost and recharge you, while also resetting your tolerance to dopamine to healthier levels so that you feel that rush again when you return to your social activities. Whether you’re an extrovert or an introvert, maintaining a good balance can provide a healthier, more pleasurable life.