MENTAL HEALTH
Four Ways to Manage and Refuel Your Social Battery
What do you do when social fatigue strikes?
Ever wished your friend would call last-minute to cancel your plans? Feel the thrill of adrenaline when you realize you’ve got the day to yourself? Do you feel drained after a big social event?
Think of your ability to socialize as finite energy. This energy powers your social batteries and makes you feel good when you’re with friends and loved ones. But once the energy is depleted, we tend to become more irritable, inattentive, and exhausted. Each time we dip into our social battery, we need to make sure to give ourselves time to recharge and refuel. How long can your social battery run?
A 2016 study found that people experienced fatigue after three hours of socialization. More interactions with more people could lead to more exhaustion afterward. Learning to manage your social battery is key to preventing exhaustion and can even strengthen your relationships.
#1: Schedule Ahead
Humans are social animals. We want to be with our loved ones, especially during holidays. However, taking the time to plan and meet up with fifteen different people for a week can be tiring. Can you think back to a time you felt socially exhausted?
Try and determine how much energy your social battery stores and how long it takes to recharge. Schedule your meetups and family gatherings to ensure plenty of time to recharge. This keeps you on top of the social game and allows you to be present in every social interaction. You won’t be counting down the hours until it is socially acceptable to leave.
#2: Practice Saying “No”
Saying “no” is awkward and uncomfortable. We don’t want our friends to think that we’re ditching them or that they bore us. Even when you genuinely want to see a friend, sometimes there’s no social energy left. Yet we still find ourselves hesitating to say a hard no. We might cave, apologize or start bringing in excuses.
Saying “no” is an important skill with benefits reaching far beyond your social life. It allows you to set a boundary and respect your own time and energy. There is nothing wrong with saying that you can’t go out because you’re socially exhausted. The first few times you try stringing those words into a coherent sentence, it may come out awkward.
That’s okay, you need to practice advocating for yourself. Believe me, your friends and family may even appreciate the honesty. It also helps ensure you prioritize the important people in your life.
#3: Take A Break from Tech & Social Apps
Social exhaustion isn’t relegated to face-to-face interactions. Social media and Zoom can sap away your energy and make you more anxious. The negative effects of social media on mental health are well-documented. Having a constant online presence and keeping up with posts is exhausting. To make matters worse, Zoom and video get-togethers are even more tiring than in-person interactions. Turn the devices off, take a day or two to recharge without social media and Zoom.
#4: Self Care
What do you do to treat yourself? Do you prefer throwing on your favourite movie or baking some treats? These activities help refuel your social battery. After an exhausting few days of socializing, you deserve to do something that you enjoy — no matter what it is. You need to take breaks when you’re tired to refuel and refocus. That means the next time you meet up with someone, you will be present and thoughtful instead of counting down until you leave.
Please note that this post is written for educational purposes, it is not therapy. If you need to talk to a professional please book a consultation with a psychotherapist through Resolvve.
