I didn’t understand why when I felt tired I would want to head into the shower. Sometimes, I would want to take multiple showers in one day.

I would sit in the bottom of the shower with the hot water around me, feeling as if it was warming my soul. I would lay my head against the wall and close my eyes. I could hear the water stream down like magic, and I could feel the inviting steam all around me. I could sense my body recharging.

Then the thoughts would pop back in: “When will I stop feeling so anxious and depressed?”, “Is there something wrong with me?”, and “Why can’t I just feel normal?” I felt as if I needed to step out of my own body and start anew.

But how the heck do you do that?

Little did I know that it was a technique I was using to calm my senses and recharge my energy. I did know about the traits of introversion and high sensitivity for quite a while, but it wasn’t until recently, when I buckled down and started researching them, that it really clicked and made sense. I’m okay just as I am. Yes, I am different from someone who is extroverted, but different doesn’t mean I need to be fixed.

You see, as an introverted and highly sensitive person, I get bombarded with sensory information to the point of being overloaded, and I need a lot of time alone in order to recharge my batteries. That shower was a place where I could sit in the present moment and simply be myself. I didn’t need to worry about anyone else. I could find my little piece of heaven with the hot water streaming down on me.

That realization taught me that:

1. It’s important to find a place where I can sit in silence and recharge.

2. Learning to focus on being in the present moment can allow me to have less anxiety, depression, and feelings of being too overwhelmed.

3. I’m not weird, and I don’t need to be fixed because there is nothing wrong with me!

4. I don’t need to step out of my skin, but I need to step into my highest, truest self by moving inwards and believing in and loving myself.

5. I am not alone! There are lots of other people who feel just as lonely and frustrated.

There is much support now with the online world, and as introverts, we actually thrive on it. We can choose whom to talk to, when to talk, and about what. And, if our batteries are low, we can easily step away for a little while.

This is my story of what I find helpful. What’s yours? Where do you go to recharge when your batteries get low?

Do you have a story to share with Quiet Revolution? Click here to view further information and submit your story—we’d love to hear from you.