The Gift of Introversion

Many introverts find ways to spend
their time that are deeply fulfilling —
and socially connected —
but where there is no conflict.
Here are five of these ways:
1. Read: Marcel Proust once said that reading is “that fruitful
miracle of a communication in the midst of solitude.” Books
transcend time and place. They don’t even require reader and
writer to be alive at the same time. Studies also suggest that
reading fiction increases empathy and social skills.
2. Enter a state of “flow” by doing work or a hobby that
you love. Flow is the transcendent state of being, identified by
influential psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi. You’re in flow
when you feel totally engaged in an activity — whether longdistance
swimming, song-writing, or ocean sailing. In a state of
flow, you’re neither bored nor anxious, and you don’t question
your own adequacy. Hours pass without your noticing. In flow,
says Csikszentmihalyi, “a person could work around the clock
for days on end, for no better reason than to keep on working.”
THE POWER OF INTROVERTS | 21