7 Ideas to Celebrate World Introvert Day on Jan. 2

an introvert celebrates World Introvert Day

World Introvert Day is a brilliant reminder to rest after the holiday season — and to celebrate the strengths of introverts.

Mark your calendars for Jan. 2, World Introvert Day. According to Days of the Year, it has been celebrated since 2011 to bring awareness to introversion and celebrate us “quiet ones” around the world.

On the heels of New Year’s Day, it’s a brilliant reminder for us introverts to rest and recharge our energy after the holiday season. Then, we can start the new year refreshed, ready to take on the world (from the comfort of our homes, of course). 

So grab your favorite sweatpants and let the celebration begin. Here are seven ideas to get you started.

7 Ideas to Celebrate World Introvert Day (Jan. 2)

1. Clear your schedule — no to-do lists or regularly scheduled commitments allowed.

This World Introvert Day, so cancel or delay your plans. Between working and adulting, most of us are living overcommitted, overscheduled, and overstretched lives these days. 

But this lifestyle is particularly draining to us introverts, so give yourself permission to take the day off (no looking at your to-do list!) to celebrate you and your introverted personality.

As an aspiring minimalist, I’ve been working on decluttering not only my physical possessions, but also my schedule. I’ve come to see that when we try to organize an overly full life, it’s like trying to plant new flowers in a garden that’s overrun by weeds. It’s ineffective and endlessly frustrating.

It’s time to get ruthless — even just for a day, and this day in particular — to get some breathing room back into your life. A good rule of thumb is: If something isn’t a “Hell, yes!”, it’s a “No.”

2. Identify your energy boosters and energy vampires.

You’re likely familiar with the term “energy vampire,” and there’s a quick and effective way to see who, or what, falls into that category.   

Try this exercise: Take a blank piece of paper, draw a line through the middle, and then make a list of things that give you energy on one side and a list of things that deplete your energy on the other.

These are your energy boosters and energy vampires, respectively, and they can include both things and people. An example of an energy booster could be reading a good novel, walks in nature, or catching up with your best friend.  

Those pesky “life admin” tasks — paying bills, making calls, yet another Zoom meeting — would belong in the same column as an overly critical father or a drama queen sister.

So, what are your energy vampires? On World Introvert Day (and other days, honestly), avoid them.

After all, it doesn’t matter how full your cup is if there are huge holes in it. Before you can fill up your cup, you need to plug those holes so you’re not constantly leaking energy all over the place.

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3. Fill your day with your favorite books, movies, and TV shows with introverted characters.

Now that you’ve cleared your schedule and blocked your energy vampires, it’s time to play! 

For some of us, that means reading, for others it’s (binge-) watching TV shows and movies. And maybe you want to make sure they’re introvert-centric.

For books to read, you can check out:

You can also check out these posts for more ideas:

Or perhaps you’d rather lie back and relax in your introvert sanctuary and watch something instead:

  • Maybe you like the way you can relate to Todd in Dead Poets Society
  • … or Iris from The Holiday …
  • … or Charlie in The Perks of Being a Wallflower (based on Stephen Chbosky’s critically acclaimed novel) …
  • or Elliot from Mr. Robot

4. Take a nap — for a few minutes or even all day!

Yep, you heard it right. One of the best ways for us “quiet ones” to recharge is by napping. If you’re normally too busy with work to take a nap, you’ve got the perfect excuse to do it today, on World Introvert Day.

And there are many perks: Naps have been shown to reduce fatigue, increase alertness, improve mood, and performance.

As someone who suffers from low energy levels (having a hyperactive 3-year-old who’s already stopped taking her last nap of the day doesn’t help either), I’ve embraced daily napping for many years now.

It’s been a life-changer. It’s like pressing a reset button halfway through the day. Instead of soldiering on and crashing with exhaustion by 6 p.m., a short 20-minute power nap restores my energy and allows me to keep going until 10 p.m. (Again, I have a 3-year-old.)

It also saves my sanity, as I feel more calm and less grumpy as a result.

So why not give it a try and see if it changes your energy and mood for the better? In fact, you can sleep the whole day away if you want to! It’s your day!

5. Get social (or socially distant) with your favorite person.

Many of us mistakenly think that all forms of socializing are exhausting for introverts. However, research has shown that social connection does wonders for everyone — extroverts and introverts alike. For us, the key is to socialize in a meaningful, introvert-friendly way.

So the question isn’t if we should be social, but how to do it, and with whom. You’ll want to go for a deep connection with someone who will energize you, not deplete you. 

For example, I catch up with my best friend every fortnight on Zoom (she lives overseas), and I also host a monthly meet up with my friend group. I love the consistency of these meetings and they never fail to uplift and energize me.

Of course, make sure that you don’t overdo it — while socializing (in the right amount) makes us happy, over-socializing drains us because of too much stimulation. If you haven’t found your perfect balance, why not start on Jan. 2, and experiment by reaching out to one or two of your favorite people?

6. Get out in nature by yourself.

A couple days after Christmas last year, I wanted to go bushwalking (the Australian term for walking through bush, which is usually a wild area of land). But due to my horrible sense of direction, I thought I should invite someone to go with me.

However, my friends were busy and my husband wasn’t into the idea, so I just went on my own. I had the most amazing time, didn’t get lost, and promised myself that I’d go bushwalking alone more often — and probably will on World Introvert Day, too.  

Speaking of nature, it’s one of the best ways to recharge our energy and ground ourselves. Studies have shown that being in nature (or even viewing scenes of nature) reduces anger, anxiety, and stress, as well as promotes positivity and emotional stability. The benefits extend beyond emotional well-being to physical well-being, too, as it reduces blood pressure, heart rate, muscle tension, and improves sleep quality.

So on Jan. 2, venture out and have your very own nature-themed adventure!

7. Get creative, whether that means singing in the shower or cooking something new.

Growing up, I didn’t think I was creative. In my mind, I equated being creative with being artistic. Since I was awful at drawing and painting, I thought I wasn’t creative (cue the sad music).

I’ve since learned that being creative doesn’t mean we have to be great at arts and crafts. What’s more, there’s no such thing as “creative people” and “non-creative people.” There are only people who use their creativity and people who don’t.

Knowing that has made a huge difference in my life, and I’ve embraced many different forms of creativity, ranging from cooking to taking pictures to writing to knitting to singing (in the shower).

If you’re like me and believe that you aren’t creative, you might want to broaden your definition of creativity. It doesn’t matter what you do. As long as you are creating — making something out of nothing — you’re being creative and cultivating meaning and joy.

Here’s a short list to get you started: 

  • Cooking
  • Baking
  • Writing
  • Journalling
  • Drawing
  • Doodling
  • Painting
  • Sculpting
  • Photography
  • Scrapbooking
  • Collaging
  • Knitting
  • Decorating
  • Dancing
  • Acting
  • Playing music
  • Singing
  • And countless others!

So, on this glorious World Introvert Day, let’s get inspired and get creative!

How will you celebrate World Introvert Day? Let me know in the comments below.

Learn more about World Introvert Day:

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