At training camp last summer, the big thing everyone wanted to know about each other was our Myer’s Briggs personality type. The Myer’s Briggs personality test categorizes people into one of 16 different categories based on 4 letters. The first letter of the Myer’s Briggs test is either an E or an I, indicating extrovert or introvert, respectively. I am an ISTJ, which indicates that I am an introvert.
Now, these terms have a deeper meaning than you might think. I used to think that extroverts enjoyed being around people and introverts didn’t. However, that judgment is incorrect. Because, here’s the deal—I love people, I love being around people, and I love pouring into people. And I am an introvert.
Here is a better description of the terms:
Extrovert: Gain energy from other people. Extroverts actually find their energy is sapped when they spend too much time alone. They recharge by being social.
Introvert: Tend to recharge by spending time alone. They lose energy from being around people for long periods of time, particularly large crowds.
I love being around people, but I usually come away feeling more tired than when I went in. This isn’t a good thing or a bad thing—it just is what it is. For me, the best way to recharge is by being by myself and getting away from large groups of people. This was easy to do back home—I had a room to myself and could step away whenever I needed to. Life on the race is a whole different story, though.
And let me tell you—life on the race as an introvert is an interesting thing. Living in community 24/7 with six other people is challenging. Especially being someone who just needs to get away to get filled up. Over the past four months, I’ve learned a lot about how to not only survive, but thrive as an introvert. It has not been an easy journey and I’ve learned most of it through mistakes that I’ve made in not caring for myself accurately.
I’ve put together a list of the top ten things I would tell a future racer who is an introvert or for anyone who lives in constant community. Please note—I have explained these tips in ways that have been helpful for me individually, but the application part may look different for you. If you’re not a morning person, don’t try to become one. There are introverts on my team who are night owls and make it work. Take the premise of each tip and apply it in a way that works best for you.
Here are some tips that I hope you find helpful:
1. Take time to learn about who God made you to be.
For the longest time I tried to ignore the fact that I was an introvert. For some reason, I had this thought that being an introvert was inferior to being an extrovert. But, I’ve realized that one is not better than the other—being an introvert is simply the way God made me. I want to embrace who I am, which also means learning how to care for myself in a way that best benefits who God made me to be. I’ve learned about the things that give me energy and the things that drain me and have focused on tailoring my rest days to fill me up again.
2. Know what you need to do to recharge.
This is so critical. Things that are restful for other people are not restful for me. For some people on my team, going on an adventure is restful. For me, being able to be by myself and have time to read or journal or go for a long walk is restful.
3. If time alone is what fills you up, make it a priority.
I’ve noticed a considerable difference in my energy level when I’ve taken adequate alone time. And, when I have more energy, I am able to love and support my team from a healthier place. I learned this lesson the hard way in Morocco when my teammates began asking me why I was so disengaged. When they brought it to my attention, I realized that I had been pushing myself too hard to stay up late with them, which meant that I was too tired to wake up early, which meant that I didn’t get any time alone. I want to be the best version of myself and love my team in the best way I know how. To do this, I have to make my alone time a priority.
4. You will have to make sacrifices to get alone time.
Living in community 24/7 means that there is always something going on and something to be part of. I’ve learned that it’s okay to not feel like I always have to be part of something. There have been times when I’ve given up watching a movie or going on an adventure to make sure that I get my alone time in. I know myself and know that if I want to be in a healthy place, the sacrifice is worth it. Also, don’t let FOMO get to you. FOMO is stupid.
5. Be up front with your team.
This is important. Like I mentioned earlier, I felt so drained in Morocco because I was trying to be more engaged with my team and stay up later with them. But, for me, staying up later meant that I wasn’t able to wake up early before everyone else and I didn’t get adequate time alone to feel recharged. Coming into month four, I was up front with my team about my need for alone time as well as my need for a consistent bedtime. Once my team was made aware of my needs, they have supported me and loved me well through it.
6. Set boundaries.
Along with being up front with my team, I’ve also had to set personal boundaries. One example is my bedtime—I try to be in bed by 10 or 11 each night so that I can wake up early to get my time in that I need before the day starts. There have obviously been times where we’ve been out late doing ministry, but for the most part, I try to stick to this as best I can. I’ve also set a goal of getting an hour and half of alone time in each morning—this is where I journal, read my Bible, pray, and sometimes just sit on my balcony and watch the sunrise. Setting that time aside has made all the difference in my energy level.
7. Ask your team for feedback.
Don’t be afraid to ask your team how you’re doing. Since making my alone time a priority this month, my teammates have commented on how I seem much more present and engaged. I’ll take that!
8. Being an introvert is not an excuse to get out of things you don’t want to do.
Now, hear me—alone time is important and it is something that you need. However, do not allow yourself to slip into the place of not being involved in things because you need your alone time. This is why I wake up early every morning—so that I can still be involved in whatever is going on that day, but still have time to get what I need to feel energized.
9. Make sure your rest days are actually restful.
This is so important, too! Do something that actually fills you up. Each day of the week, you have one adventure day and one rest day. Go on that crazy adventure on your adventure day and use your rest day to rest in a way that best fills you up.
10. Alone time is important, but there are times when you have to sacrifice it for the sake of the team.
You will have to sacrifice to get your alone time, but there will also be times when you will have to sacrifice your alone time for the sake of the team. For example, when we were in France, my team decided to use our rest day and adventure day to go to Etretat, a beautiful city in the north that sits on the beach. I knew it would be fun, but I also knew it wouldn’t be restful for me. Still, I decided to go because I knew the memories from that little trip would outweigh my lack of rest. And I was right. That weekend was one of my favorite weekends on the race so far.
I love who I am and I love that God made me an introvert. I love people and love being around people, I’ve just had to learn how to best care for myself so that I can be fully engaged with the people around me. I hope that the lessons I’ve learned over the past four months will be helpful to you in some way. Thanks for reading and for being part of my journey!
*This message is approved by Nathan Streyle, a fellow early-rising introvert on Z-Squad and a great logistics partner.*
