Yes. Me too. I also think outings are gonna be a way bigger deal than they are. I’m like, DRIVE somewhere? PARK? These are things I did all the time, even with joy, in the Before. Now I’ve built them up as big deals. I’m slowly breaking this tho and it feels good 

I am a big extrovert — I get my energy off of other people’s energy — and I have found two things post-pandemic:

1. I suffer not hanging out with people, particularly during the work day. If left by myself, all I have is my brain, and we are not the best at hanging out. 

2. Networking leaves me EXHAUSTED and feeling awkward AF. I used to love going to industry events, but even after a half hour, I feel like I ran a marathon. 

Definitely this is true for me. More broadly, my extroversion has taken on tighter limits as I age. I'm just about 40, and in the last 10 or so years, I've gotten slowly more comfortable with alone time and have needed socializing time less. The lockdown has solidified the slip into more introversion, but it really just feels like more of a balance somehow than it was before.

I’ve always been an introvert and struggled with social anxiety but in adulthood I seemed to have overcome a lot of my anxieties in social situations. Now it’s like I’ve slipped right back into my socially awkward ways and I really dread leaving the house. I went to a big St Patrick’s day event with my husband a couple weeks ago with a bunch of people he works with and had the worst anxiety all day leading up and then drank way too much at the event to cope. All that to say you’re not alone! 

Extrovert here, but sometimes I feel like I literally don’t know how to talk during social events. I mean, during the pandemic, I had whole DAYS when I literally talked to no one. That’s got to have consequences and lasting effects. At least, based on my inability to hold a convo, it has. 

Also, I love the UK and would kill for some good fish and chips rn. Living vicariously through you. 

I am an American living in the UK, and after living through 3 to 4 long lockdowns the last two years (honestly so many lockdowns it’s hard to count), I feel like I’m not as extroverted as I used to be. I think I still gain energy from seeing people, but I am EXHAUSTED after a lot shorter period of time. It used to take me many hours or all day to get exhausted by hanging out. Now I got to brunch and leave pretty much depleted and needing a nap or a large iced coffee. I also feel like I need to rest a lot more before meeting up with people so I have enough energy to keep going.

I think it’s a combination of all of the lockdowns, working from home and not needing to be “on” everyday in the office anymore, and less socialization in general. I still love hanging out with people and find that it energizes my soul, but physically and mentally, I’m exhausted. I’m hoping my energy improves as I continue to increase my social activities, but I think it’ll be a long road back to my old self.

Less Extroverted Than Before?