4 hacks to balance your energy in this loud world
As introverts, we have to view productivity a little differently. It’s not about the hustle and being busy.
We need the quietness and balance to be 100% focused during the productive time blocks.
In this post, I want to share some unconventional tips for introverts balancing productivity and quiet time.
The loud world is depleting our energy
When we go off to work in the morning, we need full energy to be in a loud environment for 8–10 hours.
A bustling open office is motivational and energizing for extroverts; for introverts, it’s the opposite.
We need quietness and no interruptions to focus 100%. But this isn’t always possible because the world is made for extroverts.
So, as introverts, we need to take care of our energy level to be productive in a loud environment, and that’s manageable with a few tricks.
It is possible to have energy left after 8 hours in a loud, open office, and I’ll tell you how:
Put on music
This is the most basic trick I use daily to block my environment and get focused. It’s not cancelling the surrounding noise but it also helps you focus with the right music.
Depending on the situation and tasks at hand I’m choosing a different playlist:
- for tasks with a lot of thinking and focus needed: classical music without lyrics
- for motivating yourself not to procrastinate: your favorite songs (I prefer pop/electronic with meaningful lyrics)
I recommend having a subscription to your preferred music streaming platform to remove ads and choose from existing playlists.
At work, if I don’t have to think much about the task at hand, I put on a happy, good-vibe playlist, and I’m more motivated immediately.
There are thousands to millions of options online. Try some and then stick with the ones you like.
And there’s another positive effect: your brain connects the music to the tasks and automatically goes into focus mode if you put it on.
Do home-office (if possible)
I know a lot of companies are bringing back their employees to the offices. They don’t know that they are actually destroying the calm, focused environment for hard-working introverts.
If possible, do home-office instead of sitting in a loud space. If you have a space at home that is quiet and ready to be productive, you should take the opportunity to work from home.
I don’t know why bosses think their employees are more productive in the office:
- getting interrupted by co-workers talking with you or on the phone
- the custom of socializing at the coffee machine
- the boss asking you stuff every 5 minutes
Those are not helping you focus on the tasks. At home you’ll get:
- no commute
- quiet environment
- just emails and calls interrupting (and you can mute them)
Journal
Introverts tend to overthink and worry too much. Our brain is full of thoughts.
This habit is really distracting. It can stop you from even getting focused. It’s one of the reasons why putting on music works so well: it stops your thinking.
Journaling is one of the best habits you can establish as an introvert. You write down all the thoughts, to-dos, and worries. It will help you to let go and recognize the bigger picture.
In the end, it’s never as bad as it sounded in your mind.
Your mind stops spinning, and you can focus better on the important tasks in front of you.
It doesn’t how and when you do it: digital or by hand, in the morning or the evening.
Just try it and let your thoughts go!
Don’t do after-work everyday
We tend to say yes to every invitation, or else we feel excluded.
Don’t!
You need your alone time, so take a break from people often.
The society wants us to “socialize” and “network,” but listen to your body and energy. You don’t need to do that every day.
Alone time is what you need.
If you feel uncomfortable telling that to your colleagues, you can make up a lie or you just say, “I have something to do/I have to go”. If they ask for a reason, you can say “family emergency/stuff”.
Our society thinks it’s weird if someone wants to spend time alone instead of partying.
I’ll tell you: it’s totally okay and necessary.
I wish someone would have told me that during my years at university. I was so exhausted from the parties every weekend that I needed a recovery day on Mondays.
Just because society is for extroverted, doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy life
You just enjoy different things.
I don’t enjoy going out daily after work to have fun with co-workers. But I do enjoy meeting friends every once in a while.
Instead of:
- partying and dancing all night long
→ reading an inspiring book and going to bed early - being an adrenaline junkie, meeting new people, and talking for hours → taking care of your plants or garden and enjoying the fruits
- networking and drinking every evening after work
→ journaling and writing online
From introvert to introvert, there’s a little secret I learned too late:
you don’t have to fit into this extroverted, loud world.
You can live in your own world and create your own life. Full of love, books, silence and inspiration.
The same goes for productivity: you can do your own way of being focused and productive. You’ll get some weird looks but do your own thing.
Your boss and you will appreciate your productivity.
Less Stress. More Time. Less Overwhelmed!
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