Introverts shut down a lot, and it’s not surprising. In most cases, they aren’t necessarily shutting down because they’re angry, sad, or upset. It’s easy to stay afar and accuse an introvert of being snobbish or arrogant when they slip into these moods, but you’re wrong.
Introversion isn’t a choice. We don’t get to pick our personality types at birth, like the color of our skin. They choose us and we respond accordingly. Regardless of our need to socialize and interact, introversion doesn’t allow long hours of social stimulation.
This is why extroverts find it hard to be friends with introverts. One minute, you’re all in a social gathering having the time of your lives and exchanging conversations. The next minute, introverts suddenly bring out the phones or feel the urgent need to go home.
It’s not that they aren’t enjoying the conversation or having a fun time. They’re probably just dealing with social exhaustion. If you don’t understand why introverts shut down, you would have constant issues and clashes in your relationships.
So, why do introverts shut down? Here are 7 probable reasons
Top Reasons Why Introverts Shut Down
Why do introverts suddenly withdraw, become loners, or stop talking?
They Shut Down When They’re Overwhelmed
What causes a person to be overwhelmed? They have a lot of things to process and analyze. Introverts are deep thinkers. In their solitude, they take time to analyze issues and think about deep concepts.
This is why it’s super easy for introverts to get overwhelmed. When they have so much information to process, they need time to process everything. Burdening with a result will only make them overwhelmed, tensed, and pressured.
This is why they shut down. Extreme introvert traits may even cause them to shut everyone out completely- like delete their social media apps, switch off their phones, and lock themselves indoors.
Someone who isn’t going through the same problem may feel like the introvert is shutting down, but in reality, they’re simply processing too much information at the same time.
But in reality, here are a few tips you must note:
Learn to deal with extroverts, especially if you have a lot of extroverted friends. Let them know what is happening to you.
Withdraw often. Don’t wait to become completely drained before taking personal space. Learn to process information in bits
Give yourself time.
Don’t go for an event if you genuinely don’t feel like socializing
Introverts Shut Down To Avoid Burning Out
Unfortunately, we live in an extroverted world. This world favors extroverted tendencies and continuously drains people energy. Introverts struggle in a society that constantly demands extroverted traits.
Introvert shut down when they burn out or are in the process of burning out. When they’re overly stimulated, they would burn out eventually.
Self-aware introverts know the activities that drain them both physically or mentally. They know when their battery is running low and they will employ strategies to ensure that their batteries aren’t completely drained.
This is why they’ll take out their phones or stop talking to people. In severe cases, they will even leave that environment and isolate themselves. They need the time to recharge themselves and process information, but people around them may misunderstand the situation.
Extroverts gain energy through social interactions and conversations, so they don’t understand why introverts don’t derive the same energy from those interactions. This is why introverts are called arrogant, snubbish, or boring in those cases.
But in summary, understand that introverts need time to recharge when their social batteries are depleting. If they allow the battery to be completely depleted, they will burn out and lose motivation for their work.
They shut down due to long hours of stimulation
Yes, introverts cherish solitude. They recharge when alone because they process information and plan adequately for their lives in those moments. However, that doesn’t mean they enjoy being lonely all the time. They want to hang out with close friends and have fun times.
When an introvert is comfortable around certain people, they can talk for hours on end. You’d be shocked that they can talk for long periods.
But because they’re more attuned to being alone, they have an internal limit for socialization. When this limit is exceeded, they get overstimulated. Overstimulation stretches and confuses our brains. Their brains essentially can’t process the large number of stimulations, so they give up and their brains shut down.
But in summary, the first thing you have to note is the signs. What signs do you feel when you’re getting overstimulated? Some introverts feel physically or mentally tired. They feel like they can’t think properly.
Some introverts get easily irritated in those moments. Even little compliments could get them upset. In extreme cases, they may even get sad or a little depressed. For those who aren’t aware of how their personality functions, they wouldn’t even know what’s wrong. Identify your signs and work accordingly.
Introverts shut down to control their emotions
Introverts internally process information. They receive data from the surrounding and process them in their minds. These data includes thoughts, emotions, and feelings. Introverts need time to process everything.
However, introverts may react differently when processing their emotions and feelings depending on their backgrounds or childhood experiences. Yes, introverts have a lot of deep conversations and love intimacy. But intimacy doesn’t come without vulnerability.
A lot of introverts find it hard to be vulnerable. This doesn’t solely depend on their personality type. Attachment styles play a huge role. People with insecure attachments don’t know how to be vulnerable either because they feel their problems are a burden or their emotions are invalid.
Now, when introverts with insecure attachments feel a huge surge of emotions, they’d rather shut down and try to process the emotions themselves instead of communicating.
If you want to know how to be more about how to be vulnerable as an introvert, check out this article.
If you also want to know how to communicate better in any relationship, check out this article.
But in summary, people’s minds can’t be read. Don’t give off body language and expect the other person to understand. If you don’t say or communicate how you feel, you will keep shutting down and giving people the wrong impressions about you.
They shut down in large social settings
A lot of people believe that introverts are antisocial. That is not true. They aren’t antisocial. They just have a socialization bandwidth for the day or week.
Introverts crave solitude, but they don’t want to be by themselves all the time. This is why they have very small group of friends they bond with because they don’t have enough social energy to go around. When they’re around these people, they’re their most authentic selves. They interact and laugh without a care in the world.
But when they’re in large social settings with more unfamiliar faces, they freak out. The urge to run away or fiddle with their phones gets stronger and stronger. Unfortunately, introverts are plunged into these types of settings daily. They have to go into the world and network like pros, or socialize with other people to achieve anything reasonable.
But in summary, you can prepare for large social settings without shutting down by reminding yourself why you’re socializing in the first place. Motivation can be a huge mood booster. Also, know when your social battery is depleting. That way, you can find creative strategies to protect your energy instead of shutting down completely.
They shut down when they feel unsafe
Introverts shut down when they don’t feel safe or are in places that irk them.
Now when we talk about safety, it isn’t necessarily about being in a physically unsafe place. You could feel unsafe emotionally when you’re with people who constantly denigrate, abuse, mistreat, or demean you.
When they’re in such situations, introverts who are poor communicators end up shutting down so that they can process the emotions they’re feeling. In some cases, the introvert may decide to take a stand and leave that situation after careful deliberations.
But in other cases, he/she may make excuses for the unsafe emotions they feel like, “Oh, maybe it’s all in my head”. They end up enduring substandard treatments from people who aren’t even worth their time.
But in summary, you either address or flee depending on the severity of the problem. When you feel physically unsafe or in an environment that makes you uncomfortable, you flee.
If you’re in an emotionally unsafe place or relationship, you should address the root of the problem or give yourself peace by leaving.
