Demand Peace and Quiet! If That’s What You Need…
Hi everyone,
If interactions with people drain your energy and you’re with people all or much of the time, when are you going to build it back up again? Quiet time is the thing that introverts need to allow them to recharge their energy levels so if your environments at work and home dictate that you never really get any peace and quiet you may well feel exhausted.
It can be difficult for us to state our needs in this respect as other people might want to say, “what is the matter with you?!” because their preference for extraversion means they feel very happy with lots of company and continuous interaction and so don’t understand our need for something different. The Danish word and concept ‘Hygge’ (pronounced hue-guh not hoo-gah) has come into my consciousness in the last few months and for me it resonates more with introversion, although it is about being with family and friends so it’s not purely an introverted domain. But it does make me think of quiet, mindful time which I associate more with an introverted setting.
What is Hygge? (taken from http://hyggehouse.com/hygge (15th January 2018))
“Hygge is a Danish word used when acknowledging a feeling or moment, whether alone or with friends, at home or out, ordinary or extraordinary as cosy, charming or special. Hygge only requires a conscious appreciation, a certain slowness, and the ability to not just be present – but recognize and enjoy the present.”
Hygge reflects times when people in much colder countries than ours, present cold snap accepted, have to batten down the hatches, cuddle up and spend time with family and friends, to talk, cook together, play games and probably not be welded to phones, tablets and social media!
So does a hygge house take us back to some more old-fashioned values of shutting the world outside, switching off all the technology (crazy concept!) and spending time together, without interruptions; emails, calls, texts and Facebook updates? People sometimes ask me what I did at the weekend and I might reply “I read a book on Saturday” and by that I mean I read the whole book, from cover to cover. They look at me blankly and I can almost see the thought in their head – “how dull”, so I always add, “yes, it was totally fabulous!” so they can understand that was my choice of what I wanted to do that day. It wasn’t because I couldn’t find anyone to play with, or couldn’t find anything more constructive to do. I chose to do that because that’s good restorative energy stuff. There’s huge strength in consciously taking time out to restore our energy levels. The challenge is greater if you have a busy home but I’m sure you already have great ways of finding quieter moments for yourself and other more introverted members of the family. That’s the strength of introversion. We find a way, quietly and effectively.
Have a hygge weekend and take good care.
Best wishes, Karen