Social exhaustion can also be called introvert burnout or introvert hangover. Although it's not a medical diagnosis, it is a valid experience that introverts and extroverts can face. It can be an emotional and physical response to social overstimulation that leaves you feeling drained and exhausted.
An introvert hangover includes social fatigue, mental and physical exhaustion, and burnout felt by introverts after they have spent too much time socializing with others. This feeling occurs because introverts are drained by interactions with others and need time alone to recharge.
Introverts tend to draw energy from going inwards and being on our own whereas as extroverts tend to draw energy from things that are external to their mind. That is why overly stimulating environments can be energy draining for introverts, leaving us feeling tired, lacking in energy and even stressed.
'When overstimulated, an introvert's mind can essentially shut down,' says life coach Nancy Okerlund of introvertenergy.com. 'It becomes hard to think, hard to make light conversation, hard to feel comfortable, even in a room full of close friends.
The takeaway: Don't force an introvert to talk more or try to change them into an extrovert. It won't happen. Love them for who they are, because there's nothing at all wrong with being an introvert.
Introverts prefer quiet, minimally stimulating environments, while extroverts need higher levels of stimulation to feel their best. Stimulation comes in all forms – social stimulation, but also lights, noise, and so on.
According to research, introverts also have more brain activity than most individuals because of their inward personalities. Their quietness helps them balance out the level of stimulation their brains experience, and is the reason why most introvert traits like keen observation needs silence to function.
Social exhaustion can also be called introvert burnout or introvert hangover. Although it's not a medical diagnosis, it is a valid experience that introverts and extroverts can face. It can be an emotional and physical response to social overstimulation that leaves you feeling drained and exhausted.
Signs that you may be experiencing introvert burnout include physical exhaustion, irritability, anxiety, and loss of expressiveness; however, you could experience a range of other symptoms to varying degrees.
The muscles around the ribs (intercostals) and abdomen expand and contract to provide breath for speaking. Loud or excessive talking may make these muscles tire. Some people then fall into the unhealthy habit of overusing muscles of the neck to “push” the voice.
Overstimulation is very common, and often happens when an introvert is the center of attention. Whether this is giving a presentation, at their own birthday party, or in a meeting, they may come across as tired rather than what they're actually feeling. Some signs of overstimulation are: Shrinking back.
People are attracted to loyal and devoted people. While introverts may not always realize it, this is a trait most people find attractive in them. Their loyalty isn't just attractive to the recipients of that devotion, but to anyone who observes them.
While scientific studies are lacking about whether or not introverts need more sleep than extroverts, Dr. Diamond speculates that introverted types both like — and need — more sleep than their extroverted counterparts. I think there are several reasons why introverts may need more sleep than extroverts.
An introvert hangover can be described as that tired, drained, foggy and overwhelmed state we experience when we've overdone socializing and feel the need for some alone-time for recharging.
Going on dates exhausts us more than it does extroverts.
Let's face it, dating is draining for introverts. It often involves a lot of small talk and nervousness, both of which can overstimulate our nervous system. The high price we pay in energy drain can make us want to avoid dating altogether.
Introverts often rely on body language to help them respond to communication. While a lot can be observed through a person's tone of voice, the lack of body language makes phone calls particularly difficult.
Introverts in distress won't always choose solitude, but if their emotional discomfort is caused by anger, they may seek to isolate themselves from everyone else in the house or building. Angry Introverts are in a sensitive state, and they can easily become overstimulated by too much social contact.
Introverts get annoyed by small talk. Since conversations require energy, they often prefer conversations that allow them to go deeper in their relationships with other people. Small talk and vapid conversations about the weather and current events can seem tedious, draining, and even annoying.
Time alone, time to prepare for social situations, and following a plan are all ways an introvert deals with stress. In contrast, extroverts may find too much alone time stressful because they can't talk through their thoughts and feelings, which is how they process and manage stress.
Perhaps the toughest part of being an introvert is not so much talking about yourself, but rather wishing you were better at talking about yourself.
There's a common misconception that introverts aren't social. In fact, introverts can be just as social as extroverts. The difference between the two is that introverts lose energy when they're around people and recharge by spending time alone, while extroverts gain energy by spending time with other people.
In the Friendship section of our Life Satisfaction surveys, we ask, “How often do you go out accompanied by your friends?” Here are some notable results: 26% of Introverts and 44% of Extraverts say friends accompany them 80–100% of the time.
Introverts are not the type to wear their hearts on their sleeves. Instead, we often have our guard up, and it can take a lot of one-on-one time for us to finally let down those walls. This can make dating difficult, especially when the other person wants to know more than we're willing to share.
An introvert can cut off contact with someone for any number of reasons, but mainly it's because that individual is negatively affecting us, and we need to slam the door in order to heal. It's about self-care and setting boundaries (which is not easy, trust me).
Introverts are easily distracted by external stimuli and while they might be too nice to say anything, get very frustrated with constant interruptions when they are trying to concentrate.