The Introverted Owls

It's very easy to be busy in our lives and put our mental health at the very bottom of our list of priorities, if we put it at all. Our minds are extraordinary, but we need to guide them to recognize certain patterns because they won't do it on their own.  Our daily behavior is a perfect indicator of our mental health and one of the many habits we need to keep an eye on is called emotional mirroring. What Is Mirroring? First, you need to keep in mind what is meant by mirroring. It is exactly what the term implies—the behavior in which one person tends to imitate another person's attitude. This can include the way someone speaks, makes eye contact, or makes certain gestures with their hands.  When we mirror someone, we aren't really aware that we're doing it unless it is pointed out. Our bodies tend to do that as a way to build rapport and it's a sign that you're comfortable within your social setting. It is a good thing.  What Is Emotional Mirroring? Based o...

People are complicated. Personalities are complex, to say the least. Why was there a sudden peak of interest in personality typing and testing the last couple of years? I believe that it's because when we struggle in life, we desperately want to look for a guidebook that strictly defines us and tells us what to do or who we are.  In this search, we fell into a few traps. There are many misconceptions about personality tests out there. Some people even claimed the famous Myers-Briggs test debunked from all precision whatsoever.  I think it's all about your perception of what these tests represent. Here are a few points from my personal opinion that might clear the air: Personality tests are a guide, rather than facts set in stone. If you deal with your personality test results like they are facts that cannot change, you will be disappointed. This is simply because there are many elements like upbringing, life situations, experience, and trauma that shape us and change us consta...

Every relationship, no matter its type, faces conflict. It's natural and unavoidable because we are all different personalities trying to communicate with each other. It can be quite exhausting if you constantly feel endless unnecessary drama in the way you and the people around handle conflict.  That's why you need to identify who you are in times of conflict . A detailed breakdown was discussed in the last post.  In a nutshell, do you identify as a victim—someone who always feels helpless in midst of struggle and tends to blame everything and everyone around them? Are you more of a persecutor whose go-to strategy is criticizing, controlling, and abusing? Or are you someone who always feels the need to save the day no matter what overtaking you every single time—a rescuer?    Aren't you tired of all the drama? Here are 3 steps to escape the dreaded Drama Triangle: 1. Recognize Your Role Change cannot happen without identifying the problem. Think about your conflicts...

Ever wonder what kind of role you play when you handle conflict? Not a lot of people would give this a moment's thought unless directly asked. We tend to handle a range of different conflicts in our lives, from the personal to the professional, as we encounter them. Not being aware of how our mind chooses to solve problems is what drags us and our opponents into an endless dilemma known as the Drama Triangle, simplified as follows:  What Is the Drama Triangle? All the way back during the late 1960's, psychologist Stephen Karpman described three basic roles (forming an upside down triangle) that people take on during complex interactions with one another. These roles do not define how people are generally; however, if they are not aware of their actions, they can easily be sucked into a never-ending cycle with no way out.  Karpman's dreaded drama triangle limits our abilities to lead healthy stress-free lives. Our minds unconsciously feed on self-punishing or self-satisfying...

Whether or not you're new to MBTI personality types, it's worth it to dig a little deeper and understand it more. Awareness does wonders to your life! You can check a simple breakdown of MBTI or the Myers-Briggs Type Instrument previously discussed on the blog.  Judging vs. Perceiving A common source of confusion is the difference between the  Judging (J)  or  Perceiving (P)   aspect of our personalities. Their names don't really help settle the matter because judging here is not all about forming an opinion or evaluating. Similarly, perceiving in terms of personality typing is not about awareness of something. We know where the confusion comes from! Let's break that cycle, shall we? Judging and perceiving refer to the way you prefer to deal with your outer world in a sense; your chosen preference is what people often see because it's how you choose to organize what is visible to them. They  are preferences in our personalities that are innately opposite t...

It's not easy being an empath. You constantly feel like your senses are heightened and on edge with feelings and problems that most of the time are not ever yours to process. While empaths absorb other people's emotions as their own, they can just as easily absorb all the negativity and fear in the world. Living through a global pandemic will surely not make things any simpler.  There are many types of empaths and it's very eye-opening when you find out which one you are. Your mind could even be wired to be a mix of more than one type. The next step is figuring out how to avoid compassion fatigue , the downside of experiencing too much emotional empathy for someone or something.  The trick is to take care of yourself a little more and build a sort of balance in your life. There are a few things you can do continuously to achieve that. You might think they are too simple, yes, but they work. So, how do empaths recharge? Here are 5 secrets for empaths to unwind an...

With all this talk about isolation and social distancing in light of the Coronavirus pandemic, it was naturally assumed by the entire world, introverts included, that it's the year of the introverts. Endless memes swarmed social media about how an introvert's normal lifestyle has become the new cool. We introverts are guilty of sharing a few too!  It is sufficient for a good laugh in a time of uncertainty. However, as reality set in, it would seem that things are not as rainbows and butterflies for introverts as everyone expected. There is no doubt quarantine is hell for extroverts who thrive on socializing, but you would be surprised how difficult it can be for introverts as well. Check out these 4 misconceptions about introverts in quarantine: 1. Introverts Are Living the Time of Their Lives No, we are definitely not having a blast and living our dream life during this crisis. In fact, it's safe to assume that no one is. The advantage introverts have in such times ...

Since the novel Covid-19 virus has officially been declared a pandemic, things have taken a quick turn in a direction none of us anticipated. The entire world is fighting it together and social distancing is what we have to do now. It may come easier for introverts than extroverts, but being forced to stay inside can be hard even for introverts because of overwhelming anxiety and stress over this global health crisis.  We are all learning to adjust to tough circumstances as a result and it's easy to fall through the cracks.  The fact that we don't really know when our normal lives and daily routines will commence is especially hard for everyone, let alone those of us more prone to stress and anxiety. The situation is not ideal, but you can do your best to take care of your mental health in the meantime. Here's what you can try to make things just a little bit easier for yourself: 1. Avoid the News as Often as You Can Following the news in these situations is w...

Have you always been more drawn to a rainy day than most people? Do you feel a hint of joy the minute you see those tiny drops fall from the sky?  Did you know that feeling this way about rain is highly associated with being an introvert? It's true! Introverts are more drawn to the beauty of a rainy day with all its possibilities to cozy up in their favorite blankets with a hot cup of cocoa, nose deep into a good book. Sounds good to me! There's actually a term for people who love everything about rain, and that's pluviophiles . If you're wondering why most introverts are classified into that very special group, here are 5 reasons why introverts love rain: 1. Rain Brings a Sense of Peace While some people may get out of the rain as soon as they can to avoid that dreaded feeling of being wet, introverts can stand for hours under the rain looking up at the sky because it's peaceful.  2. The Rain's White Noise Is Therapeutic Introverts enjoy t...

Personalities are what make us exactly who we are. As previously discussed, there are major Benefits to Knowing Your Personality Type that will help you in your daily life. On a more specific outlook, these benefits will come in handy at work as well.  Let’s be honest! We all probably spend more time at work than anywhere else. We meet a lot of different personalities in the workplace for sure. It can become tough to figure out how to communicate with each one to get the work done.  Understanding how you operate in a work environment is a major plus, but then understanding the people around you, from your boss to your peers, will move mountains for you! Here’s why: Conflicts Are Resolved More Efficiently Personality differences in the workplace naturally lead to conflicts we are all too familiar with. Conflicts are not really the problem, but the way they are handled can become an issue. You can’t really control the way the other person reacts or deals with conf...

Confrontation is a terrifying concept for introverts. We don't face how we feel head-on and we always need time to process things. So when something happens that upsets us, we simply don't know how to voice our feelings about it on the spot. Our defense mechanism is staying quiet about it, acting like there's nothing wrong, and keeping it lingering in our thoughts.  How introverts deal with conflict goes something like this: 1. Someone says something or does something hurtful.  2. The first instinct of an introvert is not reacting, mostly because they will be in shock of what took place. They go numb and not mention anything about the incident.  3. Overthinking starts to overwhelm them, which could go on for days. Details get blown out of proportion as they start to analyze the situation thoroughly. The other person has no idea. 4. They decide they are really upset about this. 5. They want to confront that person but chicken out every time because the...

Do you notice your child being the one always excited when there's a show or presentation in front of a big audience? Is your child the one initiating activities and being with friends?  Extroverts are most commonly linked to being quite an outward personality. They don't shy away from conversations, activities, public speaking, or socializing. It's easy to miss the signs if they are also highly sensitive because these two personality traits are not usually linked. They contradict each other. However, did you know that 30% of highly sensitive people are actually extroverts?  Here are 7 signs your child is a highly sensitive extrovert: 1. Your kid has a high sense of empathy and kindness.  2. They pay attention to the details. 3. Despite being very outgoing at ease, they sometimes require time to recharge after a long day. 4. Unlike highly sensitive introverts, they get bored if they spend too much time alone. 5. They have a deep process of thinking about eve...