In a world that leads us to believe being an extrovert is the norm, it’s not easy being one. You may feel like you’re the only one who feels this, but don’t worry: you’re definitely not alone in your struggles or feelings. Group projects, too many weekend plans, panic attacks when you forget your headphones; if you are an introvert, you know the struggle is real. You are a mighty introvert if a cup of tea, a good book, oversized clothes, and a laptop with a Wi-Fi connection excites you. Plus, there’s that whole “extrovert ideal”. The society we live in tends to favor the extroverts. Bottom line is, we’re just too bounded by the pressure to hang out and socialise all the time. Here are the top most struggles that you have to deal with while being an introvert: Social situations can make you feel uneasy You make plans with your friends (extrovert friends who’ve adopted you), because initially, it seemed like a good idea at the time, but it turns out later that you really don’t want to go to any of them. You would rather spend your day binge-watching your favourite show on Netflix. The truth is that in social gatherings, you tend to get really quite and try to make an early exit as soon as you start to feel overwhelmed. Communication does not come easily Interacting with other people is the hardest thing ever for an introvert, especially when it involves big groups and people you hardly know. Trying to communicate with them takes a lot of effort, physically and mentally, and can be extremely tiring and quite intimidating. There are two types of people in the world, and an introvert avoids them both! Awkward situations follow you like a shadow As an introvert, I have had a fair share of awkward and cringe-worthy moments like wanting to say hello or smile at someone but being too afraid to do so. As a result, all one has at the end is a blank face or some mumble-jumble while presenting in class. Eye contact? No, thanks You often find yourself not knowing where to look while talking to someone. Constantly struggling between wanting to live your life and wanting to stay comfortable Inner-conflict is your norm. On one hand, you want to be left alone. On the other hand, you want to be included. Truth be told, most of the time you want to be included with the option to be left alone. The horror of small talk There is absolutely nothing that you hate more than small talk, which is why when you see an acquaintance at a restaurant or a mall, you secretly hope they didn’t see you. At moments like these, your headphones are definitely your best friends; you can simply pretend that you cannot hear the people around you and wash all the unnecessary voices away. Published in Daily Times, April 26th 2018.