It doesn’t matter who you are or what you think you know about yourself. COVID has given us a chance to really get to know who we are. So what have I learned about myself? Well that’s a good question and I have had a LOT of time to think about it.
By myself.
With no one to interrupt my thoughts.
Number one: I am an ambivert. Most people think of themselves as an extrovert, meaning they need to be around people to recharge, or as an introvert, meaning they need to be alone to recharge. We can usually tell the signs of an introvert or an extrovert because they are either the people who are the centre of attention or are off to the side in a crowd. That’s the stereotype and we are pretty comfortable with that because it’s largely true.
But then you have this odd ball group of people called ambiverts. These are personalities that don’t fit the stereotype easily because they can be the centre of attention in a crowd, but then they need to recharge by getting some time alone. The get over-stimulated by people and then need to go take a time out so they can become human again. Then they run back into the fray, steal all the attention they can, lead the charge, lead the dance, get overstimulated, run off, recharge. And then the cycle starts again.
Hello. I’m Charlotte and I’m an ambivert.
To be fair, I already knew I was an ambivert, but COVID social distancing has really underlined how much of an ambivert I am. In a world where my extrovert friends are suffering the loss of their human battery system, I’m doing ok. I can recharge via social media or by going to work, which I am still doing because I work in healthcare. My introvert friends are also doing well. In fact, my introvert friends seem to be thriving in social distancing because they aren’t getting any pressure to socialize or answer their door to unexpected visitors.
COVID 19 and self-isolation are interesting opportunities to learn more about myself and my personality. I am definitely an ambivert.
Number two: I need to do physical stuff and that physical stuff has to be more entertaining than Netflix. I’m not a gym kinda girl. I mean, I go sometimes, but it’s not consistent. I really prefer to exercise through play, but remember that I’ve just said I’m an ambivert, so I really like solo activities. (All you people who tried to push me into team sports have NO idea how much pressure that is for an introvert or an ambivert.) Since COVID started looking at us doing more social distancing, I have acquired a twirling baton, a second balance beam, a coaster bike, and a push scooter. And yes, I am using them ALL. I am not a person who goes for a walk just for the sake of going for a walk. But I am definitely a person who likes to play with toys.
I am incredibly goal-oriented and toys like a bike, a scooter, a twirling baton, and a balance beam give me the ability to set tangible goals and then go after them. For some people, the gym does the same thing: they set goals and then chase them down. But for me, there is a second piece to my goal-oriented needs. I have to have fun along the way. Toys let me have fun. So I use them and if the end result is that I am stronger and more fit, then all the better! But the main thing is that I need to have a physical activity and it has to be fun.
Heavy emphasis on fun.
Number three is an interesting one. I have learned that a lot of my hobbies, like learning how to use technology to make better videos or podcasts, suddenly comes in very handy. Partly it’s that I have a solo activity that entertains me and keeps me away from people. But more interestingly, I suddenly am ready and able to do web conferences and TV interviews without actually changing anything. My home office is set up to do quite a bit of audio visual production, so while my colleagues and friends are learning how to do their very first video conferences over Skype or Zoom or whatever, I’m set. Everything I learned about microphones and lighting and framing meant that when we had to do our first videoconference call, I just turned on my gear and sat down. That was cool. For once, my skills are cool.
What have you learned about yourself during COVID-19? Let me know in the comments below. Also if you have any quirky or weird hobbies that you think I’d like to know about, let me know because I definitely want to learn more.
Have a great day! Happy self-isolating!
Thank you for the new word.
Isn’t it a good one? As soon as I learned it, I was relieved!