Creating Room for Yourself (an Introvert…) at Work

Creating Room for Yourself (an Introvert…) at Work

BY Kelechi Udoagwu

An introvert’s simple guide to navigating a hyper-active workplace

Why do most introverts find it hard to cope in today’s work environment? Oftentimes it’s about not being able to retreat to a quiet place or not being able to get a few minutes alone to think and recharge. 

The now-common communal, open-floor workplace which is believed to foster creativity and collaboration is a real challenge to the average introvert.

Most times, the challenge of introversion in the workplace is more about how we recharge when we are not working than how we carry out our tasks. For instance, an introvert may decide to read a book, watch a movie or stay quiet in their downtime, free from the boisterousness of other workers, while an extrovert will be amid the gregarious workers probably leading the force.

The setup of many workplaces today is over-stimulated, hyper-active and not accommodating of different personality types and productive styles. In these modern workplaces where cubicles and private offices have been demolished, introverted employees face the constant challenge of having no privacy almost twenty-four hours every day; and this, no doubt, affects our productivity and life satisfaction.

Below are a few ways you can create room for yourself as an introvert in the modern workplace.

Shut out the noise
A noisy, crowded environment is stressful for introverts. One way to create room for yourself as an introvert in a noisy environment is to shut out the noise. 

You can achieve this with noise-canceling headphones and music. If you are the type that works well with background music, headphones can be your saving grace and help keep out the chatter around you. Hopefully, the sight of your headphones will also give your friendly colleagues a clear message that you do not want to be disturbed. 

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Get a quiet moment when you can
Reveling in solitude is one of the ways we introverts regain our energy. There is nothing wrong with seizing a quiet moment when you can. This can mean eating lunch in your car (extreme, I know), going out for a ten-minute walk or finding a quiet spot in the office to work in. 

If your office has an open floor plan, it might be difficult to find a quiet or private spot. In situations like this, you have to get creative to come up with solutions. 

You can keep an eye on the conference room for times when it is not in use or boldly and reasonably ask your boss about finding a space in the office where you can work in solitude to improve your performance. If you work in an innovative environment, you may be able to negotiate a flexible remote work arrangement so that you can have a couple of days off per week to do deep work from home.

The most important tip is to know when you have reached your “social” limit and take steps to retreat and recalibrate before you find yourself acting out of character. Make it a point to take regular breaks. This is crucial to help you maintain productivity in the workplace and not feel overwhelmed.

Put up a Do Not Disturb sign
Coworkers are guaranteed to disturb your workflow once in a while. They can occasionally (or regularly) pop in for chit chat at times when you are just getting in the zone to focus and do great work. You need to let them know when you are working on something important or simply need to concentrate. 

To maintain efficiency and consistency, you can schedule a time to be uninterrupted. Use the non-hostile and painless way of keeping interruptions at bay at scheduled times by using an obvious Do Not Disturb sign. 

I usually schedule my times of no interruption in the morning between 9 am and noon. This is when I am most creative and my mind is peaceful. You can find a time of the day that works best for you too: hours when you are most efficient, and slot it into your routine as a time when no-one is allowed to interrupt your workflow. 

Check on your coworkers
As counter-intuitive as this sounds, it actually helps when you’re trying to create room for yourself in today’s workplace. 

We introverts are known to bury our heads in our work and can lose track of time for long periods. This is our natural reflex. However, I have found out that mingling with coworkers once in a while, and on your terms, helps keep your creative juices flowing. 

It also allows you to catch up with news, updates and anecdotes from around the office. As human beings, we are wired to relate with other humans and derive pleasure for social interactions, and introverts are not exempt. We may prefer smaller crowds but we still need people, just like everyone else. 

It is good to form bonds, make friends and get involved in healthy office relationships; but also remember to set boundaries, and maintain honesty about who you are, and what you prefer to do outside of work. 

The workplace of today may not have been designed with the introvert in mind but we can learn to make our space. You have to create your room wherever you are and make it work.

As a person of character, you cannot afford to be that colleague who constantly under-delivers or lags behind others. So, go on and intentionally design your work environment to work for you.

 

Creating Room for Yourself (an Introvert…) at Work

Kelechi Udoagwu is a freelance writer and founder of Week of Saturdays, a platform for digital freelancers and remote workers living in Africa.

 

 

Photo by Polina Zimmerman from Pexels

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