Manage Your Energy as an Extrovert

Extroverts need connection to sustain their energy.

If you’re an extrovert who has gone two weeks without connection, you might be feeling drained without knowing why. Acknowledging that connections stimulate you is a great first step to becoming intentional in bringing these into your life. My personal philosophy is to go out and seek the sense of connection that feeds my openness to new people and experiences.

Look at the different networks you’re a part of, be it at work or in your personal life. You could be involved in a community around sports or volunteering, or single out specific people in your circle that fuel or inspire you. Once you’ve identified these communities, schedule time across the week where you will connect with these various communities over your shared interests. In an average week, for instance, I will schedule between five and ten different “connection” activities that will keep me invigorated. This could even be attending a networking event for work, where I look forward to meeting people and learning from others!

Now even just reading that, you might wonder if this level of intensity - constantly moving from engagement to engagement - would actually tire you out over time. Not if you do it the right way.

Find opportunities, between the various meetings you schedule, to pause and reflect. Slow down and think about what you’ve learned from that experience or interaction, or what came out of it. So if you took a very interesting class, instead of immediately rushing off to the next thing, make sure you’re giving yourself this introspective moment. That way, you’ll gain the full benefits of the experience you’ve had. Practice this mindfully and eventually, it will become a valuable habit, and will accelerate your learning.

If you fail to reflect, you risk getting overwhelmed by the jumble of thoughts and ideas in your mind. The good news is that you can involve others in reflection as well. When relevant, gather your team and conduct a group reflection session, where you can pause together, think about what you have learned, and how you can apply these insights to your processes in the future.