"The more I learn about and understand myself, the better I feel," was ever a truer word said? I believe that the more we understand ourselves, even if that involves labels like introvert or ADHD, the more we can work with our nature instead of doing what we think we should be doing or what others expect us to do. It's liberating not restrictive.
I find the simplest way to explain introversion and extroversion is whether spending time with people uses up your energy (introvert) or gives you more energy (extrovert), and that it's a sliding scale (with ambivert in the middle). Realising in my early 30s I'm quite far down the introvert end of the scale was huge empowering for me as I stopped beating myself up for becoming exhausted from parties or being around a bunch of people or in a busy environment (you'd find me washing up in the kitchen at parties not because I'm super helpful, although the good girl conditioning runs deep, but because I could have some quiet time to myself).
Then discovering, aged 48, I have ADHD has again unlocked another huge heap of understanding about myself. And why I've spend years helping women with symptoms of ADHD – people-pleasing, perfectionism, procrastination, overthinking, overwhelm – I just didn't know that ADHD was at the heart of it.
"The more I learn about and understand myself, the better I feel," was ever a truer word said? I believe that the more we understand ourselves, even if that involves labels like introvert or ADHD, the more we can work with our nature instead of doing what we think we should be doing or what others expect us to do. It's liberating not restrictive.
I find the simplest way to explain introversion and extroversion is whether spending time with people uses up your energy (introvert) or gives you more energy (extrovert), and that it's a sliding scale (with ambivert in the middle). Realising in my early 30s I'm quite far down the introvert end of the scale was huge empowering for me as I stopped beating myself up for becoming exhausted from parties or being around a bunch of people or in a busy environment (you'd find me washing up in the kitchen at parties not because I'm super helpful, although the good girl conditioning runs deep, but because I could have some quiet time to myself).
Then discovering, aged 48, I have ADHD has again unlocked another huge heap of understanding about myself. And why I've spend years helping women with symptoms of ADHD – people-pleasing, perfectionism, procrastination, overthinking, overwhelm – I just didn't know that ADHD was at the heart of it.