Send help! I am an extrovert through and through. When I take the MBTI, I score nearly 100% extroverted, meaning I recharge when I am with people. Being an extrovert in solo quarantine has rocked my world. Right now, staying home and social distancing are the best things we can do for our country, but for the first time in the nine years that I have lived alone, I wish I had a roommate.
In my brain, I know how lucky I am. My job is secure, I will just be working from home until further notice. On top of that, I have a supportive team. We are checking in with and checking on each other. We have frequent contact with our superiors, who are working to be as transparent as possible. In fact, our work tempo and scope of work have increased.
I thought I did a lot of conference calls before COVID-19 hit. Hells bells, it didn’t even come close to how often I’m on the phone now. Unfortunately, conference calls and video calls are no replacement for in-person human interaction. Every night, I have been going to bed drained but not in a sleepy way. Instead, my emotional tank is running on empty. That empty emotional tank is bringing out a side of me that I don’t love to see. I found myself picking fights with people I care about because I knew it would push them away and isolate myself further. “In for a penny, in for a pound.” I did this in college and will not do it again.
I took this weekend to reset. After explaining to my friends where my head was at, I spent time reading, cooking, and did a little packing for the move across town. I’ll write a post later this week about how much fun it is to pack up your house while quarantined and working from home.
I’m still a bit drained, but my hope is that by making some changes I can start to rebuild some of my energy. For now, here are the things I vow to do this week to help refill my tank:
- Take my vitamins every morning (especially Vitamin D)
- Focus on my morning routine
- Cook all my meals
- Work for a couple of hours with a coworker via video conference
- Walk Rem three times per day
I know I’m not the only extrovert in solo quarantine right now. I hope this openness helps. Feel free to share the ways you’re refilling your tank during this time.
