Am I an introvert?

The Hubby and I celebrated our 10th wedding anniversary recently and we headed to London to have a whole weekend to ourselves. It was a wonderful weekend and we had a great time, but while in London I had a few lightbulb moments about myself that surprised me.

While I have always been a quiet person, shy and enjoy time alone, I have never really thought of myself as an introvert. As far as I was concerned I just liked quiet time but that didn't make me an introvert. I thought introverts were people who spent most time alone and didn't go out to parties, they avoided them. The weird thing is I'm not sure why I thought I wasn't an introvert because there is so much that points to it.




I need quiet time


London is a busy city, there's always something going on and it can be difficult to find somewhere where there is no noise. This was one of the things I noticed most during our weekend, the constant noise, even late at night, was something I found difficult to deal with. 

At home I can sit in my room and the only sound I hear is my fingers hitting the keys of my keyboard. If I stop typing the sound stops and there is silence. I love the quiet, it gives me a chance to either sit and think or just sit and enjoy the peace. With two boys at home it doesn't happen very often so when it does I appreciate it. 





Solitude matters, and for some people, it's the air they breathe

Susan Cain





Spending the weekend in London made me realise how much I enjoy the quiet. It is a need and after the weekend away I have learned that the quiet is important to me. By the time we got home on Sunday all I wanted to do was sit in the quiet and do nothing. 




I don't like crowds


I find huge crowds of people draining. Thinking about our trip to London and walking past Buckingham Palace, where lots of people had gathered, I was eager to get away. We walked quickly through the crowds, my tension rising. I don't like crowds. It wasn't until there was more space that I felt the tension ease. Once the people were more spaced out and there were areas with no one I felt better. Walking into a park with a lot less people made me smile.

Thinking about it I realise that I've felt like this before. When we go to Nottingham city centre and it is busy I don't like it. The people walking towards me, going about their business, chatting amongst themselves, I feel under pressure. Just the thought of that city centre filled with people makes my stress levels rise. 




I do my best thinking alone


Being a busy stay-at-home mum I don't tend to spend much time in groups of people. I get a lot of time to myself because the boys are at school most days. This is a great thing for me, I always do my best thinking when I'm alone. 

From creative ideas to working out problems I always work out the issues on my own. I will, on occasion, ask for input from others but it doesn't happen very often. I work best alone. 





Telling an introvert to go to a party is like telling a saint to go to Hell.

Criss Jami, Killosophy





That is not to say I don't like people and will actively avoid talking to people, I value others' opinions and will listen. It just means that any thinking that is necessary is much better to do when I'm alone. 




I don't like the limelight


Whether it's a group chat or a blogging conference I would much rather listen to others shout out their opinions and thoughts. I'm not the kind of person that would raise my hand and offer my opinion. Partly because I'm not sure my opinion is valid and partly because I just don't like the limelight. The thought of everyone looking at me and listening is terrifying. 




A quiz


After realising that I am probably an introvert I took an online quiz which quickly confirmed that I am, in fact, an introvert. Shocking huh? 




Are you an introvert?


Have you ever wondered if you might be an introvert? I spent a little time reading about being an introvert and came across a handy website that lists nine signs you're really an introvert. Reading the article and agreeing with most of the statements I concluded that I am an introvert and went on to do the quiz above. 


Do you have any introvert traits?