One of the challenges joys of being an entrepreneur or business manager who runs a strong ‘introversion’ preference is the number of people that flood through your day. Whereas some people find it highly energising, if you’re running an ‘introversion’ pattern, you’ll find it exhausting.
And by Friday you’ll likely be on your knees, compensating with a cocktail of caffeine, sugar and irritability. 🙂
Being an ‘introvert’ in the Myers-Briggs sense doesn’t mean that you’re shy or lacking in social skills. It’s all about how you recharge your batteries. And an introvert needs to do that by spending quiet time, ideally on their own. Whereas someone with an ‘extroversion’ preference recharges their batteries by being around other people.
So if you’re an entrepreneur or business manager with a strong ‘introversion’ pattern, it’s easy to reach the end of a week of meetings, conference calls, people popping by to say ‘hi’ or whinge or ask for advice – and hundreds of emails feeling totally drained. And we often don’t realise why.
Are you seeing this pattern in yourself? Or in a member of your team?
Luckily there is plenty you can do, even if you’re super-busy, to manage your energy levels, to reduce those energy drains and to make it to Friday without needing to spend the weekend in bed!
Here are six essential end-of-week battery rechargers for introverted business managers
- Learn how to pace your energy
It’s ok to build in pauses to top up your energy levels.For example, if you know you have an intense afternoon, schedule yourself some battery-recharge time in the morning and evening.
Even if that means hiding in the loos while you do some mindfulness practice – whatever works for you – those minutes of battery recharging will pay dividends to your ability to concentrate in the times you’re at your desk. - Practise saying no
It’s ok! And if you can’t say ‘no’, at least practise saying ‘later’!If someone is asking you to do something that you know will overload you with ‘people-time’, then it’s ok to tell them that it doesn’t fit for you at that time. Either duck out of the commitment or ask to reschedule it.
This is especially important with things like after-work socialising, which might feel like a semi-compulsory career move, but which might also be your worst nightmare, at the end of a busy day. Experiment with solutions – perhaps telling people you’ll leave after an hour or arriving later – be honest with them and they’ll respect your choices (and learn from your example).
- NNT = Meditation Time
NNT Meditation (non-negotiable time) is perhaps one of the most profoundly powerful ways to rebuild your energy stores and even 10 minutes a day can make a huge difference.Even something as simple as sitting up straight, gently closing your eyes and letting your attention rest on your belly breathing for 5 minutes will make a difference.
If you don’t already have a daily meditation practice – or you’ve fallen off the wagon and would like to rekindle the habit, then you’ll love the ‘Meditation For Business Managers’ course that will be one of the bonuses for my Dancing In Your Soul-Shoes members this autumn.
- Get out in nature
But one of the absolute best ways to recharge your batteries is to go for a walk in nature.It grounds stressed-out energy and reconnects you, at some deep level, to what is ‘real’ in life, rather than the stress-stories of your Monkey Mind. This one could be harder, depending on where you live, but getting out of the recycled computer-angst-laden air of your office and breathing fresh(ish) air outdoors will help massively.
If you have the option, spend some time barefoot if possible, or sit under a tree and watch the world go by. It’s amazingly effective and even a few minutes of being in nature and simply breathing deeply will re-energise you.
- Close the door and send calls to voicemail
… and turn off your email for an hour or two – it’s absolutely ok to give yourself the space to concentrate.I remember back in my final corporate job that the CEO wouldn’t agree to voicemail – if your phone rang and you weren’t at your desk, it would divert to ring every phone in your team’s ‘call group’ until someone in the office answered it. We worked in a huge open-plan office, so for me, with an introversion preference, it felt like the phones were constantly screaming at me. The interruptions were near-constant and it was hugely draining.
For someone who thrives on interacting with others, this was fabulous. But for those of us who needed quiet time to concentrate and perform to the best of our abilities, it was near-hell.
If closing the door and voicemail isn’t an option for you, then what would work? What could you do, instead, to create the quieter space you need – at least for a short time? There is always a solution, if only we speak our needs calmly and get creative.
- Build in daily fun time
Laughing releases tension and re-energises you, flooding your system with happy-feeling endorphins.Doing something that makes your heart sing takes you out of your thinking mind and back towards the ‘real you’, deep down inside. It’s an incredible way of re-energising yourself and cranking up the dial on your inner happiness thermostat.
The biggest piece of advice I would give you is to consciously become aware of what works for you and what doesn’t. Keep a diary for a week and spot what drains your batteries and what recharges them. Then take inspired action. And don’t be afraid to tell people that you need to go and recharge your batteries!
If you’re finding that your batteries are pretty much always running on empty, then it’s essential to deal with the underlying causes. It could be stress or diet or simply thought patterns that are dragging you down.
I’m curious: which of these strategies could you use today? Do you have any favourites of your own? Let me know which shifts you notice – via the comments box!
And perhaps there is a member of your team or a loved one that could benefit from this article? Please feel free to share it with them.
With love, Namaste,
