“If isolation tempers the strong, it is the stumbling-block of the uncertain.” ~ Paul Cezanne

Surely we’ve all experienced a point in our lives where we felt overwhelmed, overburdened, and pretty much weighed down by the non-stop flow of information we received on a daily.

This cesspool of info could’ve been emanating from social media, television, or even the individuals you regularly come into contact to.

In any event, you feel hella jaded and just want to focus on yourself or a particular goal that’s been cozying it up in your mind for quite some time.

So what do you do? Plead insanity, strip naked, and parade the community? (Of course not, then you’ll probably be arrested for public indecency UNLESS, your neighbors are into that sort of thing… *nudge-nudge-wink-wink*)

But in all seriousness, you feel the need to power down or limit the resonance of reality. Consequently, you turn off your phone’s notifications, pull out the television plug, and go completely ghost mode.  And there’s nothing wrong with that, we all need a break here and there.

However, what’s important is knowing when that break is over and hasn’t overstayed its welcome. Otherwise, the consequences can be dire and extremely damaging to both you and those around you.

So tonight, we’ll be looking at 3 warning signs that should clearly indicate that your sabbatical within the void is up and it’s time to get back into the sociable swing of things.

(That includes you too my fellow introverts.)

#1. You’re Becoming Easily Agitated

At first, I was in denial of these major red flags. In the beginning of my recent reprieve, I felt so empowered. I felt I was in full control of how much I involved myself with everything around me.

And sure enough, this was the case. Everything I did over that past week revolved around work. I immersed myself in reading, blogging, and using my socials mainly for promotional purposes.

(Okay I admit, I also used them to keep up with my latest YouTube subscriptions, celebrity-related feuds, and memes. I love a good meme, sue me.)

But with my phone’s notifications off, I decided when it was the appropriate time to veer into those apps. And for a while, everything felt so refreshing. But then I realized whenever someone interrupted me at home, I’d get inexplicably angry.

I’d grunt and groan, slam my fists on my desk, and sometimes ignore their call until the 9th or 10th time. What can I say? I was in the zone.

Unfortunately, this newfound aggravation didn’t stop with real-time interaction, it transferred into online conversations as well.

Have you ever found yourself getting really angry or annoyed at something that’s typically the normal fare when conversing with certain individuals?

For instance, they tell a joke or make a snide remark, which you normally take with a grain of salt, innocently really. But because you’re so deep into the void’s ass crack, so gear-focused on work, and operating at a moderate to high stress level, you take the remark seriously.

You allow it to fester, swell, and explode. You allow that little comment (something the normal you would’ve easily scoffed or clapbacked at) to become much bigger than it really was intended to be.

You eventually conclude that the person who made the comment is a hindrance and only wants to agitate you. Then boom! You significantly trim down the time you spend talking to that person. You purposely ignore their future attempts at interacting and plead busy.

But a part of you feels the need to mentally rationalize your decision to retract yourself. Which brings me to my next point.

#2. Consistently Overthinking

Trust me, between work and even more work, it’s at your best interest to get some socializing done. Even if it’s just a “Hey, my mind went to you, how have you been?”

Because while the void can serve as a refuge from the mass invasion of information intruding from all angles of life and a safe-haven for productivity, it can also serve as a funhouse for mental terror.

During my personal time of social exile, I naturally found myself taking breaks from work and got into the habit of thinking excessively about non-work-related things.

I started to question several of my connections with individuals in my life. Whether or not my decision to focus on work would inevitably make a difference. Am I actually better off alone? The list goes on and on folks.

The point is, your mind is both a brilliant and terrifying place. And if you conceal too many of your thoughts, they will begin to feast upon your psyche and render your physical self depressed, withdrawn, and detached from everything around you.

Hell, you may even start to overthink your overthinking. You start coming up with solutions to non-existent problems. And begin rationalizing your reason for overthinking in the first place – it’s exhausting.

Yet, I think all of us can relate in some regard to overthinking, not just creatives or the artistically inclined.

But what’s important is that you realize your thinking has gotten out of control and you must seek help, a trustworthy, listening ear, or a licensed professional. Don’t allow yourself to fade away into the void.

#3. You Feel Extremely Lonely

Now, this one should’ve been expected. Let’s recap real quick: You’ve allowed your emotions of fury to push people away, then you’ve allowed your thoughts to either rationalize of conflict your emotions, and now you feel like it’s only you.

Well, this just in – it is only you! You’ve single-handedly turned your mini-hiatus into an episode of Get Out. And now, more than ever is the time for you to come clean with yourself and reach out to those closest to you.

Chances are, they too have experienced what you’ve been enduring and can render some pretty choice advice. Perhaps, you just need there presence, allow them to whisk you away on a drive somewhere, take you out of your working setting. (I found that it helps a lot!)

Truly people, we all go through times of loneliness, but we have the power to change that. And don’t get me wrong, there’s nothing wrong with being alone. One should definitely find comfort in his or her own company.

But there’s a limit to it. Because nobody likes when being alone turns into loneliness and this is usually the resulting factor of being in the void (this bubble of productivity and limited interactions) for far too long.

**Final Thoughts**

There will undoubtedly be times in our lives when we have to buckle down and separate ourselves from the rest of the herd.

We owe it to ourselves to be the custodians of our mental-health and personal well-being. So by all means, take some time to yourself. Visit the void and enjoy its pleasantries.

However, know when to come out of your cave of darkness and interact with your fellow man. Trust me, it’ll keep you sane, hopeful, and happy.

So if you yourself, or somebody you know has been extremely aloof lately, (even more than usual), share this post with them and encourage them that they’ll get to where they need to be, but prolonged isolation is not the way to go.

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Thank you so much for reading and I’ll see you next time on Introverted–Insight!

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