Staying home as an extrovert

I am writing to you all from my leisure laptop – you know, the laptop you switch to immediately after 5 pm when you are off from working at home.

COVID-19 has surely changed our daily lives as the situation is ever revolving. Many of us are working from home, staying inside and socially distancing ourselves from friends and people we do not live with.

Disclaimer: Please stop reading if you are going to try to shame me by saying things like, “You should be grateful you can work from home” / “Don’t complain – think about the doctors and nurses on the front lines!!!” / “People are dying!!!”.

I get enough of these bad news on a daily basis, and just because I don’t dedicate this post to all the unsung heroes does not mean I don’t appreciate anybody’s efforts or sacrifices during this time. These are all important reminders and gratitude is awesome but please look at the title again – this post is called “staying home as an extrovert”. This is what I will be writing about.

So yes, well, how do I explain it? Staying home as an extrovert is not… easy. I’ve seen many tweets and posts on social media making fun of how now is the time for introverts to shine. All plans are cancelled and you do not have to feel guilty about staying home all day like you actually wanted to. Maybe for someone who is more introverted, this really is an ultimate stay-cation. But for me, I feel more and more suffocated every day. Staying home every day only stresses me out.

Perhaps this is surprising to some, but I don’t want to be in PJs everyday. I want to put on makeup and choose and outfit and go out. Like many extroverted people, I want to spend time with friends and go and do things outside. I want to eat in restaurants and watch movies and go to someone’s house for drinks. This is my usual lifestyle.

As my days begin to blur together, I fill my days with Netflix, Korean TV shows, video chats and online games. Time seems to pass by so slowly. I feel my eyes glaze over at the bright light from screens and monitors. I feel my body become more and more lumpy like a big coach potato. My mind drifts in and out of boredom, restlessness and plain nothing.

If you are reading, I really hope you don’t automatically categorize me and other people as complaining or being ungrateful. I understand that the concept of chilling at home and watching netflix is not terrible. It’s not torture. All I ask is for some understanding on the struggles of extroverts because it is situations like this that actually stress us out or drain our energy. I can’t speak for all extroverts, but the last few weeks have not been relaxing.

If you have an extrovert friend, maybe it’s time for you to check in on them and see how they are doing. The current situation might be tougher for them than for you.

Sincerely, Loewe