Hi all! I recently wrote a blog piece on how it feels to be an introvert during these crazy quarantine times and after getting a lot of good response from my readers, I decided to share what it is like to be an extrovert and be stuck in self-quarantine. So I interviewed one of my closest friends Bria Woods who is a fellow journalist working in the States, about how as an extrovert she is coping with being quarantined. She is literally the life of the party and loves to go out and mingle and be constantly surrounded by people. I could think of no one better than her to get an insight on how it feels to be an extrovert in quarantine and how to survive it.
Here we go:
Q. How has your life been so far quarantined?
Surprisingly I was really excited to go into self-isolation. As an extreme extrovert, I was shocked to see how eager to spend my first week working from home.
The best part of this has been not having to sit in a freezing cold office. I can eat when I want, work in PJs, and I have fewer distractions.
I work at a local news station in Victoria, Texas and in an effort to keep the number of people in our newsroom to ten or fewer, my boss allowed me to work from home. Thankfully my role, as the Executive Digital Producer mainly requires just a computer and internet.
Q. Are you still alive on the inside?
I am still alive on the inside, lol. Thankfully I am still working so for 8 hours a day I am still staying productive and doing what I love in my job, helping our community stay informed about what’s happening.
After I finish for the day is when the loneliness hits me like a tidal wave, and the reality of not interacting with any humans for days on end starts to take a toll.
Q. What self-quarantine coping techniques are you practicing?
Three major things are keeping my spirits high during this scary and stressful time:
1. Talking to friends on the phone is giving me life. I’ve been able to re-connect with friends living all over the world, including you Khyati and now that I’m in the comfort of my home I can work around the time differences and make time to talk to friends who are normally asleep when I’m not in the office.
Some friends will just sit on the phone with me while we work together from our homes, and it feels like I have a buddy right in my apartment with me. And we can make it despite the time difference, which has made a huge difference in reducing my feelings of loneliness.
2. I am a religious person, so prayer has been a huge factor in keeping my anxiety at bay.
As a journalist, I don’t get to look away from these scary headlines about COVID-19. It can eat away at my hope and feelings of security. Prayer and reading the Bible help maintain my peace in these crazy times.
3. DANCING. Sometimes the best answer is to just put on your favourite song and dance with your whole body and soul!
Q. Would you recommend these coping techniques to other extroverts?
If you’re working from home remember to take your breaks and step outside, even just for ten minutes, to breathe new air and feel the elements. And have two or three friends who you can talk to every day to maintain social interaction.
If you’re not working from home and you’re just under quarantine from work then GET CREATIVE. Write, paint, dance, produce, design, draw, edit…whatever it is that makes time stop for you…do that. Some of the best ideas, creations, inventions come from boredom or by accident. Now is the time. Seize the moment.
Also, don’t be afraid to do nothing. Don’t feel pressure from other influencers to create all day every day while you’re self-isolating. This is also a great time to rest and take care of you.
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Q. What are the pros and cons of self-quarantine as an extrovert?
Pros
-I can wear PJs all day and be in the comfort of my home
-Not sitting in a freezing office
-Getting to catch up with friends in other countries, because I can control more of my schedule and work around the different time zones
Cons
-No or very little human interaction which can lead to feeling mildly depressed
-Continuing to work even after my shift is over because I’m still on my personal laptop. The best thing to do is to close out of your work tabs when you’re shift is done for the day to create a clear separation between work and leisure on the same device
-That’s really it. I’m still loving quarantine, to be honest.
In conclusion?
9/10 would still recommend. This is a time for healing. A time to be mindful of our holistic health, not just our immune systems. This includes our mental health, spiritual health, and social health. Take care of you. This requires a new level of self-awareness to even know what
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Be healthy.
Cheers x
Follow Bria Woods on twitter and get in touch if you want more tips on how to cope with self-quarantine or work from home. https://twitter.com/BriaWoods1?s=20
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