Isn’t an invitation to a party the worst possible thing that can happen to you? Ugh, those social batteries! They always seem to run out, don’t they? Not feeling socially drained does sound like a miracle to you, doesn’t it? Well, that was the same situation that I was going through, until I found these tricks.
Techniques to Stop Feeling Socially Drained
I bet it was fun when you first got out of the house with your fully charged social battery or the capacity to be attentive to others. Then, right out of nowhere, the gloom takes hold of you and you are feeling drained after socializing. Irritability and impatience become your sense of relief as the social grinder spat you out.
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The happy ‘you’ suddenly becomes a gloomy blob that just doesn’t seem to be satisfied with anything. Those heavy mood swings are just something that your friends cannot understand. Let’s just not become those gloomy blobs anymore. Here’s how –
1. Be Honest about Your Feelings
If you are feeling socially drained, you will get anxious about outings. The first and most important technique not to feel drained of all your energy is to find a way to say no and be honest about your feelings regarding the event.
Talk to them about how you feel about the event and why it is not something that you are up for. If that is something that they don’t understand, there is always the option to make excuses. If something is not to your liking, saying the word ‘no’ to it can work like magic.
2. Take Frequent Breaks While Socializing
When I am feeling drained after socializing, I tend to take a stroll out in nature or just in the house. A helpful technique to be social without getting drained is to clear your mind. All the stress and anxiety that comes from social interaction gets relieved as you take the stroll. The refreshing quiet can work wonders on the health of your neural system.
That won’t look like a crime to your people when you are feeling drained after socializing; yet, it can be a much-needed change of environment for you.
3 . Sort Your Events Wisely
You do not have to attend every event that comes by your street. Every idea of a party might not appeal to your taste. Sort through the events that suit you the best. Choose the events that stimulate your brain and that you find interesting.
You, feeling socially drained, can be controlled with the level of enjoyment that you can put yourself through during your presence in that event.
Related — 10 Ways for Introverts to Power up at Work
4. Steer the Conversation to More Interesting Topics
Not all parts of a conversation can appeal to your tastes, isn’t it? Conversations, too, have subheads within them. If you are feeling socially drained, you can always ask a question about the topic that makes you interested.
Appeal of a topic is everything when you are trying to be social without getting drained. Ask how they might have come across that situation or ask them why they felt it was happening in that way.
Your social battery can get a boost through this simple trick. Your brain gets to focus on more interesting topics than just idle chatter. Remember, one question can go a long way!
5. Simply Listen, Don’t Talk
Listening can become a gift to your companion. A limited number of people know how to listen in this world. When you are tired of speaking, putting your two cents in the conversation, and feeling socially drained, just listen to them talk.
This way you can be social without getting drained. This technique helps your mind to calm down for a while, refreshing itself from all the information that it has gathered within the short time.
6. Make a Not-to-do List for All that You Dislike
There are people who simply cannot match the way that your mind is wired. Sometimes, you don’t like the conversation you might have with them. Sometimes, you just don’t match to their level of energy. That connection is just not there. You can choose to add them to your not-to-do list–a list that will hold all your rejected options.
There are also events that you might not like–events that can cause social drainage to your mind. Add them to your not-to-do list as well and avoid taking them up with a well-structured excuse.
7. Prioritize Running Away Right before Getting Drained
I am not joking when I say that you should literally flee when your social battery runs out. You start getting anxious, irritable, and impatient–that’s the moment you know it’s time to leave.
It’s time to go back to your safe space and do what you do best–have some much-needed personal time. If you are feeling drained after socializing, use the art of leaving in peace.
8. Put That Phone Down to Silent Mode
Are you always checking on that social media notification? If you are, then this is the time to take a moment and step back from it. Your brain always keeps processing more information during each of those pings. Those comments from the strangers online keep playing on your brain 24/7, exhausting every bit of that energy.
One of the techniques to save yourself from social drainage is to maintain a period of ‘do not disturb’. Turn your phone to flight mode or simply turn it off for the time you are resting or sleeping. It can do wonders for your social attention span.
9. Accept the Introvert that You are
Isn’t it always hard for us introverts to match the pace of the extroverted world? I am sure I was not the only one suffering from social drainage with my pretend-extrovert composure. I have found that being my authentic self can help a lot with the capacity of my social battery.
The moment I embraced my introvert self and my shy composure, I was finally able to be more social. One-on-one conversations have been heavenly.
No one likes an angry, emotionally unstable person ready to blow their top at any second. One of the best techniques when you are feeling socially drained is to manage getting out of there and go into that little safe space of yours. The moment you have mastered that and incorporate these tricks into your life, things will change for the better.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs):
Why do I get so tired after being social?
Socializing requires energy and that is expended during the event. Being an introvert can also be a reason why you are much more easily tired after being social.
Can taking a stroll alone after being social help with my exhaustion?
Social drainage can be helped with some me-time after you have been social for a long period. Taking a stroll alone in the nature or just around the house where no one else is present can be beneficial.
What is a social battery?
Social battery is a metaphorical term that means the span of your attention capacity, which you can hold during a conversation with another person.
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