Socializing on Weeknights vs Weekends
A couple of months ago I read an article specifically for introverts. For those of you who don’t know what it means to be introverted, it simply means our energy recharges from being alone, versus extroverts who get recharged from being around people. Being an introvert does not mean we are antisocial or that we don’t like going to parties, it will simply drain our energy eventually and we will be spent. Many times people plan parties on the weekend or want to get together on the weekends because work usually won't interfere and it's the way things have always been done. This article suggested that introverts reverse that. It suggested that we try to do all of our socialization on week nights so that we can take the entire weekend for ourselves and have a true day of rest.
For me it made perfect sense. I started doing it a couple of months ago and I do feel so much more rested when I get back to work on Monday morning. I start planning my weeks on Monday morning. I contact all of the people that I usually hang out with during the week. Typically I have dinner with them or go out to breakfast. So I start each week by asking what weeknight they are available. Then I plan my schedule around that, always making sure I have an activity to take up my evenings. This also prevents me from vegging out in front of the tv, which isn’t restful if you do it all of the time. I will have one night with my family, one night with friends, one night of theatre rehearsal, one night of recording an audiobook, and one free night to do whatever I please. This takes up my week nights and I keep the weekends for grocery shopping and doing solo activities that don’t require me to socialize. Even going to a movie by myself doesn’t require me to exert myself, so that could be saved for the weekend as well.
Some of you may be saying, “But I go to church on Sunday mornings, how can I avoid socializing on the weekend if I go to church every Sunday?” That is a good point. I would say, if it's possible, try to arrange your schedule so that Sundays are the start of your week and pick another day, maybe Fridays, to also not socialize. I used to attend church on Saturday evenings because I was more alert for the message and it worked out better for my schedule. Plus it meant I got an extra day to sleep in. See if your church offers an evening service and consider going once or twice to see if you like it better.
In the end, it's all about how you arrange your schedule. If it works out for you to have a day of rest on Wednesdays instead of Saturday, make that your day of rest, but just try to make sure that you are carving out an entire day where you don’t have to socialize if you don’t want to. See if it produces any positive results.
Challenges/Points:
Consider your level of energy at the beginning of the week versus the end. What is affecting the change?
Do you know if you are more extroverted or introverted? Consider how you feel at the end of the next party you attend. Do you feel more energized or drained?
How many activities do you complete in a given week, what days of the week do these activities fall under?
Questions:
How do you schedule your week?
Can you move any of your normal social activities to a different night?
Does your church have an evening service?
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