Ellen Chisa, the VP of product for Lola Travel, writes about how she strikes a balance between having a social life and enjoying her alone time as an introvert.
Know your limits, and set rules.
I’ve tried to set rules to help this happen. The best one I’ve found is “always stay home on Friday night.” That creates a strong foundation for having enough alone time. If I do go out on Friday night, I’m likely to make my entire Saturday unproductive, which is some of my best working time. If I stay in Friday, I tend to work on Saturday, go out Saturday, relax Sunday, and return to the office refreshed on Monday.
I’ve noticed that unless I make a firm rule, I’m too tempted to give into peer pressure. Other people don’t understand why one Friday can throw off a whole week for me. At the very least, know what the limit is. If you keep violating it, set rules.