It can be challenging for introverts to celebrate life with the vigor and exuberance that extroverts possess, so they often feel left out in activities that others enjoy. We at FitMyFoot have introverts on our team, so we thought up some ways that introverts can enjoy important events in life in ways that they feel comfortable doing so.
Independence Day is an integral part of American culture, reminding us of the struggle our forefathers went through to achieve the freedom of this country. The most important thing about it is that it reminds us of how different kinds of people came together to fight for the country and how no one should be left behind merely because their personality is different from the norm.
What defines an introvert
Astudy that examined introverts defined the trait as “an individual in whom exists an exaggeration of the thought processes in relation to directly observable social behavior, with an accompanying tendency to withdraw from social contacts.” Essentially - the ‘thinkers’ of the group, or in fact, not necessarily in a group at all! Introverts, as considered by the researcher, often prefer to be alone.
Being alone
Various characteristics are exclusive to introverts. Introverts prefer to spend more time by themselves than with other people; they enjoy being alone at home, left to their own devices. They enjoy activities that are mostly performed alone, like gaming, gardening, writing, and watching movies. In fact, being alone is necessary for their mental wellbeing.
Introverts also enjoy productive activities they can do alone, an example being 8 different lacing techniques we have shared on ourblog.
Limited social battery
Their social battery is limited, and although they can enjoy social gatherings and parties, they have a certain limit after which they need to go back to being by themselves so that they can recover. Introverts often feel caged and crippled by teams and group projects. They don’t like navigating the group dynamics and prefer to focus their efforts on the task at hand.
They also have a small and close circle where they intimately know everyone, and they prefer to keep it that way. Thus, their friends are more like family to them than like temporary relationships.
Day dreamers
Don’t like to feel pressured
If you’re friends with an introvert, you might have experienced the fact that introverts prefer to text rather than call since they feel more in control while texting and do not feel the need to urgently reply to everything that is said to them.
Characteristics of extroverts
In most things, extroverts are opposites of introverts. An extrovert isdefined as “An individual in whom exists a diminution of the thought processes in relation to directly observable social behavior, with an accompanying tendency to make social contacts.”
Life of the party
Extroverts love to talk and be the center of attention. They have something to say about everything. They can strike up conversations with strangers and befriend them in a matter of minutes. Extroverts are the life of the party; they have to be out with their friends on a Friday night, or their weekend is ruined.
Enjoy being in groups
Extroverts are friendly, open, and approachable, the reason why they are always surrounded by people and are seldom found alone. Socializing inspires them and recharges them, and they seek out any opportunity to socialize so that they can refresh themselves. They work great in teams, and the idea of working alone bores them to no end.
How introverts can celebrate Independence Day
- Invite people to your home
If you are an introvert who feels suffocated by big crowds, holidays are most likely a struggle for you. Oftentimes, holidays are characterized by celebrations in huge crowds and parties, but these make you feel suffocated.
It might also be that you don’t have too many friends, and you are too shy to approach new people at events that mostly surround holidays. Worry not! There are still several ways in which you can enjoy holidays with your friends and family circle. You can invite your friends to come to your house and celebrate in a safe and quiet environment.
Even if you don’t want to spend Independence Day with friends, here is a piece we wrote about how you can stay healthy and have fun athome.
- Celebrate with small groups
Introverts prefer activities that they can partake in with asmall group of people they are comfortable with. So you can celebrate Independence Day with your closest people and find fun in even mundane and everyday activities like listening to music together, going on a long drive, making grilled sandwiches and burgers, and playing all kinds of fun games together.
- Going hiking with your friends
Hiking is all the rage these days since people want to enjoy their holidays and don’t want to be in uncomfortable, busy situations, especially after the pandemic. Doing this activity on the 4th will get you away from the crowds and into nature.
We often do not find enough time to exercise and stay fit in our busy lives, and hiking might be the perfect remedy for that. Fresh air and exercise do a lot of good to the human body and mind. If you think it is time to prepare for your next hiking trip, here is an article we wrote about making your hiking boots morecomfortable. And also check out this article we wrote that covers some of thebest hikes in the U.S.
- Watch parades on TV
Celebrating Independence Day should be about the spirit of independence, right? Lots of people spend Independence Day partaking in activities that they could have done anyway on a normal weekend. Introverts have the chance to celebrate Independence Day by watching the parade on TV, reminding themselves about the true meaning of the day.
- Activities that limit talking
Introverts can struggle to maintain long conversations or small talk with strangers. Luckily, there are many activities that require a minimal amount of talking and still allow us to spend quality time with our loved ones. One of these activities is cards that also, according toresearch, keep your mind sharp and brain active.
There are numerous card games out there that you can learn, and there are some entertaining ones like Trump and Black Queen that will never bore you even after hours of playing. Also, friendly competition is great for introverts as it helps them connect with people more easily.
- Think of topics to talk about with strangers
Introverts sometimes havetrouble connecting with new people. Thinking of new ways to talk with strangers is a great way to get over your issues of interacting with new people. It can also be a great way to spend Independence Day since it is in the spirit of the day to connect with our fellow Americans. If you already have a repertoire of talking points, it becomes easy for you to talk to strangers.
Extrovert or introvert, we should not let ourselves be stopped from having fun because our personality might not fit in with what most people think is the “right” way to have fun. You can enjoy your holiday in your own, independent way, and it does not matter what you are doing, as long as you enjoy doing it.
