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A Few Of An Introvert's Favourite Things

Nothing hits the spot quite like these solo activities.
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Today as I was out Christmas shopping, I got into a line and began to wait patiently for my turn to pay. As I waited, lo and behold I noticed that there were some newly installed self-checkout stations slightly to my left. Cue angels singing! There is nothing that an introverted person likes better than a checkout in which no small talk has to be made.

It's so hard to resist one when I see it shimmering in the distance. It just makes the transaction so quick and simple. Introverts are often misunderstood. It's not that we don't like people. Because we do. I promise. But all of our people interactions can be very draining on our energy levels so we have to pick and choose where we spend our people energy wisely. A self-checkout is definitely a win for us! Here are some other things that introverts just can't get enough of.

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Drive through

Whether it's for food, coffee or a bank machine, the drive through takes the people (and small talk) out of the equation. In a food drive through, we deal with the one person at the window. If we went inside we would be dealing with the people in line, the person taking our order and the person handing it out. Basically, it's a numbers game. Drive through wins, hands down.

Online shopping

'Tis the season to sit on my couch and order everything that I need for the special people in my life. I can brainstorm, gather ideas and make my purchases all in the comfort of my own home. And often deliveries are just left on my porch by mysterious little hard working elves that I never have the pleasure of seeing. It's a seamless transaction.

Text messages

They were designed for introverts. I'm sure whoever thought up the idea was trying to figure out a way to banish their pesky phone from their lives — and bingo! A way to talk at our own pace, when we feel like it, with no pressure to maintain any sort of rhythm. Very little small talk required. There is a whole different type of etiquette when messaging versus talking on the phone, and I'm all for it.

Online courses

No group work. No in class portion. No awkward introductions. No get-to-know-you ice breakers. Need I say more? Yep. Designed for introverts.

The internet

I'm sure it was created for us. Getting answers to all of life's questions without having to interact with other live people takes some of the stress off of us. I can totally do it and be lovely and pleasant, but why would I drain my "people energy" when I don't have to? Need to know a store's hours? Internet. Looking for where to buy a specific product? Internet. Want parenting advice? Internet. You would like to learn a new skill? Internet. All without leaving the comfort of your own home. Seems pretty ideal to me.

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Grocery delivery service

This is probably one of my favourites, but then I really dislike grocery shopping. Taking back two hours of my life every weekend when I have to be out in a horde of people in a grocery store and trading it for a one minute grocery drop-off at my house? Yep, I'd pay money for that.

Do-it-yourself car wash

Do it yourself "anything" basically. Just put in the coins and go about your business at your own pace and with your own thoughts.

Buffets

If I have to go out, I do enjoy a good buffet. I think all the checking in that the waiter/waitress does at order-off-the-menu restaurants makes me uncomfortable. First the drink order, then the food order, then three check-ins while your mouth is full to see that everything is OK. Then the asking for a take-out box, then asking for the bill. I know that at a buffet, they'll take my drink order and after that initial contact, I'm on my own. And I'm good with that.

Pay at the pump

I learned to pump my own gas for this very reason. It's so much easier and quicker than full serve. Sometimes I think I pay at the pump to save time, but deep down I know it's also because I want to conserve my people energy in case I need it later.

Working from home

If I was in an office job, I imagine that rather than having the pleasure of open office spaces where distractions abound, us introverts would get a lot more work done at home. We thrive when we are in our own element and our home certainly is that!

Oh, and I can't forget Dr. Google. Why go to the doctor's when you can diagnose yourself in the comfort of your own home? OK, wait... this one is actually a no-go, unless you want to scare yourself half to death. I guess going to the doctor's is the one thing we actually can't take an introverted shortcut for. But in case you haven't noticed, everyone in a doctor's office looks either straight ahead or down at their phone. There is very little small talk to be had because that might get awkward under the circumstances. I guess a doctor's office isn't so bad after all. No more Dr. Google for me. Especially since I just self-diagnosed myself on the internet with four completely different diseases.

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