Can I Please Have Some ‘Me’ Time?

I don’t know if you had some friends that would always move around with a book when you were growing up?

I was one of those kind of friends. Even at parties, I was sure to always have a book to read in my bag.  And it wasn’t until I was older that I realized that I just did that to avoid conversations with people. I’d rather read than speak with people.

A lot of people believe that I’m an extrovert. They see me mingle with others and they just conclude on my personality type. The assumption usually is that introverts are quiet and shy people.

While it’s true that introverts could be quiet and shy, not all fit into that mold. The true mark of introverts is that they enjoy their own company better. They crave alone time and when they don’t get it as often as required, they start to get irritable.

I am an Introvert Mama! I love time by myself. I enjoy my own company and I don’t need anyone to entertain me. I usually have to make an effort to reach out to others actually. And I have no apologies for being who I am.

Growing up, it was awkward. I loved to go 0ut with friends, but in the midst of the chaos, I could be by myself with my book.

Fast forward to having kids. How do you reconcile wanting to be alone with raising kids? After all, kids need attention from their parents. Make that lots of attention.

When I was getting my mommy moments coping skills down pat, I didn’t even realize at that time that my choice of strategy was directly related to my personality type. I needed my sanity, and so it was easy to keep my life totally organized just to ensure that ‘Me Time’ happened.

While some others may want to unwind by going out or blaring some loud music at the end of the day, an introvert just wants to be alone.

How have I coped with being an Introvert Mom?

• Come To Terms With Being An Introvert:  You have absolutely no reason to feel bad about who God has made you to be. And you shouldn’t feel guilty for desiring time alone by yourself. There’s nothing wrong with you.
• Stay Organized: Try to keep a schedule for your Daily Tasks as much as possible. This helps you to plan your time well and will make you feel less out of control and irritable. If you can study your habits for a day or two, you are likely to find that you function better with structured time.
• Deliberately Schedule Time Alone Daily: You will only function effectively when you have had some time to yourself on a daily basis. You need that time to refresh and refill your energy tank. Without this, you are likely to become irritable and cranky as the day progresses.
• Save Your Energy For More Important Things: You will need to decide what things are important to you and spend your time on those things. If you dissipate energy on the trivial, you won’t have energy left for the crucial stuff. For instance, as a Mom, spending quality time with your spouse and kids should be important to you. Therefore, you need to ensure that nothing else depletes your energy level so much that you miss out on spending quality time with those important people in your life.
• Let Your Kids Learn To Get Busy By Themselves: If your kids have to depend on you for fun and every activity, you’ll be worn out very soon. When you’re ready to read a book, let them also get engaged in something that will interest them. They can also read a book, play outdoors [depending on how your home is structured]. Keep the house quiet – by all means possible. My kids know that ‘boredom’ is not a word I want to hear [my response is usually that they will do the dishes].
• Have a Strict and Early Bedtime For Your Kids: Life is definitely easier when the kids have gone to bed! Establishing a strict bed time for your kids helps you to recuperate and refresh after a hard day’s work [whether as a Stay At Home Mom, a Working From Home Mom or a Working From Outside the Home Mom].

Taking a few days off may not be something you can do right now, but I believe you can still cope with these few tips. They have helped me a great deal in my Mom Life.

I always like to read from you.

Please feel free to share those Tips that have helped you to cope as an introvert mom.

Fellow Introvert Mom,