Everyone has a morning routine, but it doesn't always translate to pastel yoga mats across bedroom floors or aesthetically pleasing cups of matcha, despite what Instagram might have you believe. Your morning routine is the sum of steps you take to get ready for the day: your pit stop at the café where the baristas know your order by heart, your trek to the subway, the podcast you always listen to along the way. It's not always a conscious string of events, but the morning habits of introverts, on the other hand, are generally more strategic than most, because introverts don't just get ready for school or work; they have to prepare themselves for the mental exhaustion they know and expect to feel after a long day of constant socializing.
Keep in mind, most people who describe themselves as introverted usually place a very high value on "me time," so while you might prefer to spend your days constantly surrounded by people, or feel stimulated in high-energy crowds, introverts tend to have their hard limits. To put it into perspective, doctor of psychology and licensed clinical social worker, Dr. Danielle Forshee, LLC defines introverts as reflective, reserved individuals "who prefer solace, working alone [rather] than in large groups, gain energy from ideas, and are often exhausted by social situations." In other words, introverts often require that solace to thrive, so they need a taste of that every day, not just once a week.
Unfortunately, between work and school and anything else you might have on your plate, life gets busy, and carving out that restorative alone time isn't always possible. So how do introverts find time for themselves? They squeeze a few minutes of peace and quiet into their morning routine by adopting these habits.
According to Forshee, someone who identifies as a true introvert is likely to feel completely burnt-out by the end of the day if they’re, say, working an office job that puts a heavy focus on team building and collaborations, or have a jam-packed class schedule that doesn’t really leave room for “me time” in between lectures. Introverts know they’ll eventually need a breather, so there’s a good chance they're planning ahead for those few solitary moments to ensure they can make the most of that time and keep their energy up throughout the day.
“To prepare for the day ahead, it will be important that introverts know how much social time or group work time they will have to give,” Forshee tells Elite Daily over email. This is because, unlike extroverts, introverts recharge from the inside out, she says, so they tend to plan for their alone time after a busy day, before the next one has even officially begun.
Introverts tend to value quiet moments, so if they’re all too aware that the day ahead is going to require a lot of socializing and hustle-bustle, hopping on a noisy train car or squeezing into a crowded subway is likely just going to exhaust them more quickly. Rather than putting up with all the people and buzzing voices, Michael Alcee, Ph.D., a clinical psychologist based in Tarrytown, New York who also identifies as an introvert, says people who are introverted are likely to find alternative, less hectic ways of commuting into work or school.
“I particularly love walking the last mile of my commute to my office, finding the quieter streets, and allowing the architecture to be a cinematic backdrop to my thoughts,” Alcee tells Elite Daily over email. “Part of the fun is searching out and discovering new introvert sanctuaries [along the way], like that chill café or lounge that has a spot for you to really unwind.”
You know that old saying, “diamonds are a girl’s best friend”? Well, literature is an introvert's best friend, according to Alcee, and this is because genres like poetry and fiction can serve as a kind of “lift-off,” he says, launching them into the day with a creative, open mind.
Podcasts work the same way, the psychologist adds. The two are, essentially, “immersive outlets” that can get an introvert “ready and fueled for the day,” he tells Elite Daily. Because these types of activities are easily accessible virtually anywhere (via phone, hard copy, laptop, etc.), Alcee refers to them as “multipurpose,” because introverts can look to literature or podcasts to “cleanse the palette” whenever they deem it necessary.
It’s important to note that while not all introverts are socially anxious, many can easily feel stressed when having to face a day of non-stop socializing head-on. I mean, wouldn’t you feel overwhelmed with back-to-back appointments, classes, work projects, and conversation? I’m getting exhausted just thinking about it (then again, I do identify as an introvert).
According to Robert Glatter, M.D., an assistant professor of emergency medicine at Lenox Hill Hospital, Northwell Health, introverts often prefer working out first thing in the morning because it’s “physically intensive, which helps them focus and release pent-up anxiety they may harbor as they begin their day.” Plus, workouts are task-oriented, Glatter tells Elite Daily, so by checking a half-hour of exercise off of their to-do list, introverts feel a sense of accomplishment, and that little self-esteem boost can help ward off any anxiety they might have had before the workout.
Nothing says “me time” quite like taking a few minutes out of your morning to sit back, sit still, and be silent in order to check in with your body and any thoughts your subconscious wants you to address. Because introverts are often fueled internally, and tend to function to the best of their abilities when they're 100 percent in-tune with their emotions, Glatter says meditation is definitely something they try to work into their routine ahead of a busy day.
“Combined with deep abdominal breathing and imagery, [meditation and/or yoga] helps to produce a relaxed mindset to face intense social interactions,” he tells Elite Daily. What's really amazing is that, even if your morning schedule is already pretty tight, meditation is one of those things you can do on-the-go. Plug in a pair of headphones, download apps like Headspace and Stop, Breathe, Think to guide you along, and suddenly your mind is transported from a sea of people on a crowded bus to a peaceful place where you can concentrate on only yourself and your thoughts.
