Finding Work-Life Balance as an Introvert

I could easily barricade myself inside my home for the rest of eternity with little to no FOMO. I just love home and I enjoy my alone time, but I also recognize that I need to socialize to be healthy! And I’ve realized the more I’ve put myself out there to meet people and spend more time with friends, the more fulfillment I’ve felt lately.

My Work-Life Balance

I may not achieve the perfect balance that some people require, but I prefer to work more. I prioritize my career and side hustles and as a legally single woman with no children, it works quite well for me. And I consider my freelance work part of my socializing time. I can easily spend a couple hours at Retail Therapy photographing new arrivals but also catching up with Celeste. I also love photographing my blogger friends for fun or the cool campaigns they’re working on.

I generally do very little after my work day during the week so I can get caught up on the alone time I require. And my general rule for plans is “nothing after 7 p.m.” during the week. I usually have emails to answer, blog photos to edit and a TV show to watch. While I make social sacrifices, it keeps me sane.

The area that I’m more flexible with is the weekend. I’m making a conscious effort to not overplan them and leave some wiggle time for fun. I’ve discovered that weekends in Grand Rapids grabbing drinks at a cool bar or overeating at my friends’ get-togethers is actually a lot of fun. I know if there’s any part of my life that suffers it’s my friendships and it’s because it’s hard to make time right now, but my goal is to be more social, say yes to a couple more social functions and plan more weekend adventures.

Introvert Work-Life Balance Tips

I’m the type of introvert that requires intense planning and understanding of plans before I can willingly participate and feel comfortable. So for me to do something more social outside my comfort zone, I make sure to get all the details and I set expectations for who I’m meeting up with (like hey, I may feel a little overwhelmed and may need to cut out early.) This applies to social functions with friends and family mostly and occasionally for work functions.

Unwind the best way that works for you. For some of my friends, drinks at a bar with a group of friends are how they unwind, but for me, it’s being at home alone with a book or movie. Whatever works for you, make time for it!

Plan one-on-one time with friends. I can get overwhelmed with large groups of people, so I tend to prefer one-on-one time with friends to truly engage in conversation. I struggle to actually make enough time and manage my calendar, which is an area for me to work on, but I at least know if I plan coffee or dinner dates with close friends, I’ll be able to strike a balance that works for me.

Don’t be a flaky ass bitch. I try to not say yes to things I know I don’t want to do and if I need to bail on plans, I try to immediately reschedule. For example, I try to avoid Friday night plans because by the end of the workday on Friday, I’m usually completely drained and would always cancel plans. I realized there was a trend of trying to do shit on a Friday and consequently, flaking on the regular. Again, commit to what works for you and try not to flake as often!

Z supply sweatshirt tunic from Sparrow Boutique | Lululemon leggings | leather jacket by Topshop

Photos by Ashley Walterhouse (and the two of us are introverts who had a lovely time together at Le Bon Macaron!)