Self-Isolation is HARD for Introverted Parents

We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program and other affiliate programs. An affiliate advertising is designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. This post may contain affiliate links.

Struggling with self-isolation? You are not alone.

It is a global pandemic and our governments are encouraging us to stay inside and to social distance. That is an introvert’s dream, right? Self-isolation is hard for introverted parents.

No need to leave your home.
People being recommended to stay 2 metres away from each other.
No large gatherings…

That all sounds amazing, right?

Sure, but please don’t assume your introverted parent friends are not struggling. They need support too.

Let The Jokes Begin

If you are anything like me, you have been spending way too much time on social media recently. Staying updated on all the situations is really just distracting yourself from reality.

We have all seen the memes…

• 

• 

• 

And then there are the memes about checking in on your extroverted friends because they are not ok…

But not all introverts are ok.

Self-isolation is hard for introverted parents.

Change is Hard

An introvert is someone who tends to prefers a minimally stimulating, calm environment.  They enjoy alone time after socializing to recharge their energy. They appreciate time to themselves.

…minimally stimulating?
…calm environment?
…time to themselves?

If you are a parent, you know that these are not common occurrences in many households.

Add in the fact that many cities have closed playgrounds, schools, and other recreation areas, and told us to not have playdates with friends. This means a lot of children have lots of energy and, potentially, no outdoor space to run around and play. This means that loud, energetic children are running around indoors.

Let’s add to the equation that one or more parents may be trying to work from home during this time, which means that the tension around noise levels may be higher than normal as well.

Are you feeling stressed yet?

Many parents are also doing what they need to do to get by in these trying times. For many of us, this means more screen time than usual and special treats. I know that we have been baking more than normal which means more sugar in our diets. And let’s not forget that regular schedules have been completely disrupted. Even homeschoolers are finding their normal routines to have changed drastically.

These changes are difficult to process and many of us are finding ourselves and our children more emotional than normal.

Big emotions are hard.

We may fill our days with baking, art projects, STEM science, or family movie nights… but it doesn’t really address the issue which is making this self-isolation hard for us introverted parents.

We need downtime.

Self-Isolation and Introverted Parents

I need my downtime. I really do. There are many of us who do and when our normal routines are out of whack, it can be hard to fit in that downtime.

For example, once upon a time, I would bring a book to the playground.

My kids could play and I could have some alone time. I would check in on them at the end of the page or when my name was called but I enjoyed letting my children play while I took a break and escaped into the world of my book.

It is amazing how you do not realize how valuable a little habit like that is until you cannot do it anymore.

Many introverted parents are not getting the downtime they need to get through the day. We are all on edge with the global circumstances and no idea as to when a sense of normalcy will return.

At least once a day my toddler asks (and then gets upset) about going to the playground. He doesn’t really understand why he cannot go play there or have his friends over. We do not have an outdoor space for him to play and our normal walk around the pond involves walking right past the forbidden playground. Even as I write this, he is sitting beside me watching shows. He needs to be beside me because he is feeling uncertain in these trying times… I cannot blame him.

The only alone time I get is when I go into the bathroom and lock the door.

But somehow children (and pets) know when you lock the door and then all of a sudden it seems like an apocalypse is happening on the other side of the door.

Can you relate to that?

Take Care Of Yourself

We are all doing the best that we can do with our current situations. Things may not be perfect but we are doing our best to get by. Some of us are finding that minimal changes have occurred and others of us have found our lives being turned upside down.

Introvert or extrovert, this is not an easy time for many people.

Check-in on your friends but also don’t forget to check-in on yourself. Try your best to take care of your needs.

For me, this means putting a movie on for the kids and going to sit in the other room. Audiobooks are saving my vocal cords from endless storytimes. I also make sure to take time for a bath in the evening every few days – I tell the kids to bug Dad and I hide in the tub with some 528htz music or a guided meditation playing through my headphones (noise-cancelling, if possible).

I am not claiming to have answers.

I have no clue how to make this easier for any of us. All I am saying is that you are not alone.