As much as we care about the plight of healthcare professionals, and their continued, exhaustive fight on the frontlines elicits nothing but gratitude, for most introverts, the lockdown situation was supposed to be a godsend.
Those who cherished their time alone at home were already experts at isolation and now were basking in some sort of pride of taking one for their national teams
But does bringing your life in the outside word indoors qualify as an introvert’s life? An introvert’s home is a sanctuary away from highly-charged office environments, gyms, cafes and bars. It is a den to decompress from all the octane-fuelled stimuli the world throws at us on a daily basis.
People are coping with the coronavirus pandemic, however, by completely letting the virtual world take over, it has actually overcompensated for social distancing in an attempt to re-create the world outside, indoors.
Empty ‘do-nothing’ calendars have made way for virtual drinking sessions, Zoom dates and group binge-watch sessions.
The new version, however, is a poor, chaotic, cousin. Everything is being force-fit into the crowded chat windows of video-conference apps that weer never really equipped to simulate social interactions in the real world.
The result, is an introvert’s nightmare, a bizarre, overwhelming feeling of too many things happening to an unsafe degree, as we keep safe distance from each other physically.
Even for extroverts, it has been a draining experience. An always-on internet connection has led to always-on human connections, so much so that they have begun cherishing the value of time alone.
So extroverts have turned to the introvert manual, turning down invitations to talk, focusing on self-care. Time alone during time alone is a tricky proposition to make, but people are realising the need and acting on it. Even at the cost of sounding rude when simply saying ‘I don’t want to.’
Extroverts and introverts are the subjects of many a listicle, you can find out if you are one, along with your favourite colour and the vocations you must take up based on planetary movements. Perhaps this is the time for the unvarnished truth to come out. The reality that introverts dont want to be alone all the time, and extroverts can appreciate moments of quiet, is a fairly logical argument that seems to be lost on many.
It is down to how everyone recharges themselves. Everybody is processing a lot of anxiety right now about the spread of coronavirus, which is being processed in many ways.
For many, staying home means solitude that has led to rumination, negative thinking and a whole host of other mental health issues coming to the fore. For others, it is a positive development where they can work on themselves in all that free time. Introverts want out and extroverts want in. There’s no way everyone gets what they want, much like the real world.
What is clear is this, video-conferencing really doesn’t work.
Most conversation is not natural, in that sense phone calls might be a better bet. In the age of texting, actually calling people might seem like stepping back into the past, but it is pretty effective. Knowing you are not being watched might help relieve anxiety, as you can walk around, cook or do chores while talking, sort of like having an interaction one-on-one.
Perhaps introverts and extroverts can see what each group lacks and possesses in great measure, as a means to help understand themselves better once they go back into the real world.