As an introvert and recovering co-dependent with this underlying desire to "please" people, there were times where I really felt unsettled and out of control. Here are a few general guidelines that I've found work for me to help maintain a balance between social connection and alone time:

Birthday parties. Bar mitzvahs. Graduations. Reunions. Weddings. The blank squares of my calendar disappear beneath scribbles of purple Sharpie ink. L...

Back when I was single and child-free, I was passionate about live music. Rarely a weekend passed without my visiting a smoky bar, listening to great ...

Many introverts wonder what kind of sadist concocted the open-plan office layout. I used to imagine a middle manager with control issues who gleefully...

Eleanor Roosevelt is commonly held as an example of a highly successful person you would never guess to be an introvert. Many biographers (including h...

Pop quiz: does this sound like someone at the top of her field? Doesn’t seek attention Prefers collaboration to competition Is quick to give cr...

Thirty years ago, you had to be a serious student of Buddhism to be familiar with mindfulness meditation. Today, it’s everywhere: in medical, milita...

Welcome to The Social Introvert, where we’ll talk about relationships of all kinds—love, friendship, family, and professional. Some of you migh...

I spent the first 15 years of my life wondering why everyone was always in my space. I tried my best to be quiet and stay out of people’s way, but t...

“What if everyone figures out that I don’t really know what I’m doing?” In my decade-plus career as a freelance writer and blogger, I’ve ...

You’re confused by your kid. She doesn’t act the way you did when you were growing up. She’s hesitant and reserved. Instead of diving in to play...

The great benefits of being an introvert don't come from faking extroversion. They come from honoring yourself, knowing what's best for you, and living that as much as possible. Be true to yourself and you'll find being an introvert is not nearly as bad as it's made out to be.