Why Self-Employment Is Right for Many Introverts
Introverts need to be in charge of their own schedule, environment, time, and energy in order to really show up in their strengths and shine in their work. And we need plenty of quality alone time. That’s where the beauty of self-employment comes in — it allows you to be in control of your own work schedule, how much you want to work, when you want to work, and how much you want to interact with other people.
There are many options for self-employment that you can do at home, such as freelance writing or design, consulting, coaching, or providing administrative or social media services to other online businesses. And, if you’re a blogger, coach, psychologist, or other expert, you may be able to create “passive” income like a self-paced online course. This allows you to scale your business and make money doing what you love while also having lots of time to yourself. Ultimately, this can give you more energy to spend quality time with the people closest to you, like your family and kids.
Self-employment allows you to be in control of how you spend your energy. Since introverts tend to get overstimulated easily, you get to be in control of how much outside stimulation you want to engage with. No more mind-numbing meetings, interruptions from coworkers, or constant pings from Slack. Really, self-employment and introverts are a beautiful match.
It’s Better for Your Mental and Physical Health
Not having a 9-5 job, a boss, or coworkers will most likely feel freeing, energizing, and calming to you as an introvert. Working for and by yourself will give you more space to access your creativity and use your unique gifts to bring value to the world.
It’s this control of your time and space that will help you thrive in life. Plus, making money doing something you love is extremely fulfilling, especially for introverts who crave meaning in all that they do. As an introvert, you’re probably a thoughtful, conscientious person, and you have a lot to offer your clients and customers. However, being in control of your schedule and how you give your energy away is essential for you to feel your best — and produce your best work.
Many of us were told the path to happiness was to secure a good job, and indeed, you might feel enticed to work for someone else in order to receive a consistent paycheck. Of course, this works for some introverts, and there’s nothing wrong with choosing traditional employment. But for many others — me! — we need to listen to what we truly need as introverts to thrive. Until I did, I jeopardized my happiness, and often my physical health, as I felt exhausted and even physically sick after long work days with little time to myself to recharge my energy.
I get it, we’ve all been there — completely exhausted at the end of a day spent working for someone else, unable to cook a healthy meal, go to the gym, or even relax. And this stress can make us more susceptible to anything from the common cold to more serious health problems like high blood pressure, anxiety, depression, fatigue, and more.
Yes, being self-employed takes consistent courage, confidence, drive, and risk, but it can be totally worth it in order for you to shine as your introvert self.