Socialising as an introvert during Christmas season and Festive months

Christmas. For us introverts, this isn’t exactly a fun time because everyone’s basically in your space.

You have to spend an entire day or two around people and it can get exhausting.

So how does an introvert stay sane over the Christmas season and Festivities? And how does one go about socialising in Christmas settings without feeling left out?

 

Socialising as an introvert during Christmas season

 

1. Can you get out of it?

Ok, so I’m going to be brutally honest and first of all ask, can you get out of it? If you really don’t enjoy spending Christmas with certain people and are not looking forward to it, how about just saying you can’t make it? Why do something you don’t want to? Frankly, I’m very happy just sitting under my duvet enjoying a Christmas movie marathon on Christmas day.

If you can’t get out of it, well then here are a few tips.

 

2. Try to keep yourself busy

The best way to stay away from people is to keep busy. Help with preparing the Christmas dinner, laying out the table and basically be a busy body whereever you are needed. This will minimise the time you spend sitting around awkwardly trying to have a conversation with someone. Plus as an introvert, you’ll probably enjoy the time to yourself whatever you end up doing and do it better than others could! Perhaps you’ll get a few compliments 🙂

 

3. Do some research

So you know who’s going to be attending the Christmas dinner. Most likely your family. But if you struggle to get along with some family members, or maybe you just don’t have anything to say to them, do some research beforehand.

You know what they like doing – maybe read up on that or watch a documentary. Read up on the news or any piece of information that you could talk about. Maybe you could learn some interesting Christmas facts or funny jokes to contribute your fair share 🙂

 

4. Inform them beforehand that you may need to leave early

Perhaps if you create the expectation that you may need to leave early, you may be able to get out of the festivities if it gets a bit awkward and tiring.

It may involve a bit of lying but if you really don’t want to be spending that much time around people, then why go through that?

 

5. Bring along a friend

If you have a friend that has no where to be on Christmas, bring along that friend so that you have some fun company around.

Additionally, your Christmas guests will admire you for helping a poor soul enjoy Christmas.

 

6. Suggest a walk outdoors after Christmas lunch

One way to break the routine and make it less awkward is to suggest a walk outdoors after lunch.

It will create a change in the setting, get everyone outdoors, have more things to look at and talk about as well as work off that large Christmas meal.

 

7. Suggest a movie after the meal

Not keen on socialising? Then suggest a fun Christmas movie after the Christmas meal. Even if others continue chatting away atleast you can pretend that you are enjoying the movie.

This takes any attention off you.

 

8. Play a game

Not good at talking to people? Well then, do an activity. You could suggest boardgames such as Monopoly which everyone loves. This means you don’t really need to talk about anything new and the attention is off you.

Games such as Monopoly can last for 1-2 hours which means you’ll pretty much be done with the outing by the end of it.

 

9. Connect to one person

The thing with being an introvert is that it takes a lot of energy to talk to people. Christmas parties are full of people and it’s exhausting to talk to one person after another.

Instead, focus on one person. If that person is an introvert as well, then even better. Connect with one person. Get to know them and have a meaningful conversation. You can also latch on to that person when socialising with others – but having that one person there means that you do not have to be 100% involved in talking to others. You can split the focus with that one person when interacting with others.

 

10. Be positive

Change your mindset for that one or two days. Go there with the view that you are going to have loads of fun and it will be a great way to relax and unwind.

It will be a great way to connect to your loved ones, and if you don’t really like them, you might learn something from them. You’ll get to enjoy good food, learn new things, play games.

Keep this positive mindset even while you are at the Christmas event and aren’t having a good time. Tell yourself just a few more hours, make the most of it and then you can go back to your life.