Introverted Friendships – A Complete Guide

Introverted friendships!

I always thought of friendships having the same dynamics and rules, whether you’re an introvert or extrovert. But the world doesn’t quite work like that. Some of us are naturally good with people, while for others, it can take a lot of learning and experience to get used to it.

I can definitely relate as I’m an introvert myself. I’m not the type of person who loves to be a social butterfly. I definitely have the capability to do so, but as an introvert, it also drains me mentally. From my own experiences, I can give you my expertise on how to navigate friendships and I’ll show you what to do.

In this post, I’ll go over introverted friendships and everything you need to know about them. As an introvert, we may not always be socially keen or aware of the social dynamics of a friendship. But I’m here to clarify and help you understand them, so you can best manage your friendships. Introverts can as successful with friends as extroverts.

Alright, let’s get started!

Use your introverted personality to your advantage.

Yes, you can use your introverted personality to your advantage! Contrary to popular belief, being an introvert has its pros. For example, the fact that you like to talk less, that may resonate well with a lot of your friends.

I don’t know about you, but I have friends who LOVE to talk…a lot! So by being the friend who doesn’t say much unless necessary, you are actually doing them a favor. Some of my friends, I let them do all the talking. This is why I always say it’s a huge asset to be a good listener (click here to learn how to become a better listener). You will win over a lot of friends by having great listening skills. And as an introvert, it comes easier than an extrovert in my opinion, because extroverts love to talk.

Another way you can use your introverted personality as an edge; having more meaningful conversations. I find with extroverts, the conversations can be more surface-level, especially in a social setting. But talking with introverts, because they are less talkative, you tend to have deeper, more personal conversations. That is a nice feature to have when you’re looking to make stronger connections with your friends.

Now I’m not saying that extroverts can’t have deep conversations; for sure they can. I just find as an introvert, it’s easier to do so, due to our less talkative nature.

Alright, let’s move into the next point…

Pay attention to your friends.

This is something that’s really important for us introverts. Just because we like to shy away from the spotlight or not be a social butterfly, does NOT mean we ignore our friends. And that’s a major issue with introverts; because we are somewhat quieter, our friends can take this the wrong way and feel hurt or insulted. This is especially true in this technological era; being left on read or not answering your friend’s response online, they can feel like they’re being ignored. And you can’t use your introvert personality as an excuse!

I know as an introvert, it may seem easy to ignore or not pay attention to your friends. But you definitely need to respond and talk to your friends when they ask you to. Even though I’m a busy person who doesn’t like to talk all the time, I make it a point to always answer and reply to my friends whenever I can. That way, they know that I’m not ignoring them and that I still care about them. I don’t use my introverted personality as an excuse to not respond to them. And to me, it’s really important you do so as well.

It’s okay to need your space.

Last but not least, it’s totally fine to be an introvert! I want to make that clear. As introverts, we need our time alone and away from society. As mentioned previously, I myself get really mentally drained after a social night out with friends. My “social” battery has a limit and it can get drained if I’m out socially for too long.

So my friends know that I always like to have time to myself every now and then. And I think for any introverts reading this article, it’s totally okay to have this too. And from my experience, your friends will be more than understanding with this as well.

Here are some examples of situations where you can have some time to yourself in a social setting:

• When traveling with friends. Whenever I travel with friends, I usually allocate some time away alone from them during the trip. Not only does this let me do my own thing, it also lets me recharge my social batteries, so I can be more social with my friends during the trip. Click here to read how to travel with friends.
• When talking to your friends in a social setting. You don’t have to be the one always talking. As an introvert, you can be the listener and only talk when needed!
• A “me” day to yourself. You don’t always have to spend all your free time with friends. It’s okay to go on a walk or do stuff on your own. That’s what I certainly do!

Conclusion

As you can see, you can have awesome friendships as an introvert, as long as you know what you’re doing. I’ve shown you the steps you can take to have great friendships while still staying true to your introverted personality!

I hope you found this post helpful. If you have any questions or feedback, leave them in the comments below!