I’ve been working exclusively from home for the past two months but it feels like it’s been only a few days. I’m from Michigan and our state is supposed to be re-opening at the end of the month so my work has been coming up with a re-entry plan but I’m not ready to go back. I’ve enjoyed working from home so I plan on continuing for the foreseeable future. Overall I feel less stressed and have had more time to take care of myself.
I know that many people are struggling because they have to social distance at home. For introverts such as myself, I think this has been a good opportunity for us to re-charge our “introvert batteries“. One of the characteristics of introverts is the need to be alone to re-charge after social situations. The lack of social anything has given us ample opportunity to re-charge our batteries. I know that my battery will be drained again after my first social experience.
This period of social distancing has also shown the importance of the little moments such as visiting friends and family, hugs and handshakes, and quick trips to the grocery store. I hope this helps us to not take those things for granted when society re-opens.
Being an introvert in quarantine has it’s perks. My husband is an extrovert and has been so bored. I don’t typically get bored very easily so I’ve been able to keep myself busy. I’m stuck inside my own head most of the time and enjoy being around a very small group of people. I like going for a drive with Brett every once in awhile for a change of scenery but for the most part I’m a happy camper.
I do think that it will be hard for me to go back to “normal”. I feel safe and comfortable at home but I know that I can’t stay here forever. At some point I will need to re-enter society and that is pretty terrifying. Social distancing feels like the ideal situation for avoiding draining conversations and eye contact.
My whole life has prepared me for social distancing. The new problem I face is dealing with the anxiety of re-entering the world when things start to re-open. I will always crave the safety and security of my house. I will always crave alone time or time with just Brett. I hope some of the things we all learned during quarantine will stay even after everything re-opens.
Are things starting to re-open where you live? Are you ready to get back out into the world?
Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash
Life of Hayley 
I completely understand where you’re coming from. Last week I was super anxious about going out into the ‘real world’ again and that was causing the anxiety more than actually going back to work and dealing with customers/the public again. Once I was at work and doing things it was fine. Try not to worry which I know when you’re anxious is the worst thing to say but I’m sure things will go smoothly when you transition from home life 🙂
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I’ve been (mostly) working from home for nearly two months. I’m also an introvert so, basically, this is me living the dream. I met with one of my supervisors today because she hadn’t seen me in a while and wanted to check in. While there hasn’t been an announcement about things getting back to “normal” and meeting face to face with clients rather than doing sessions over the phone, I know it’s coming. And I let her know that I have loved the stay at home gig and, sure, I’ll get back out there and readjust when the time comes, but at the same time, I’m kind of dreading it. I almost feel guilty about it, too… these last two months have been incredibly stressful for the world, but they’ve also been the most relaxing two months of my life.
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It’s fascinating how all of us have dealt with this. I think we’ve learned a lot about ourselves. I wonder if the workforce will change in the future. Many people have discovered that their work has improved because of this. Employers might want to look into this if they see some employees are more productive.
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I am smiling while reading your oost because for months in quarantine, I just enjoyed being at home. I told my friends in messenger how the pandemic proved to me what a real introvert I am because I do not even get bored. 😅😀
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