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10 Signs It’s Time to End Your Relationship

August 22, 2015 by Power of Positivity

Relationships are tricky. It is easy to spot a toxic entanglement from the outside looking in, but to recognize our toxic relationships can be difficult. Sometimes we are so deep in the middle of the drama that we can’t see the damage it is doing until it is too late. There are some that are lucky to learn from past relationships, but others might be repeating the cycle, not even realizing that they are doing so.

Being in love is powerful. When we’re in love, our partner seems more attractive and more desirable in our eyes than they really are. Think about it, we’ve all dated someone only to look back years later and wonder what we were thinking. That is the power of love.

We want to hold on to our relationships at all costs. We’ve invested our heart; we don’t want to end up alone, or we feel there is no way out. Whatever the reason it’s enough to keep us in a relationship that isn’t in our best interests.

So we stay and try to make the best of a not so good situation. We hope things will improve and maybe even go to extremes thinking we can save what we have. We do these things knowing our romantic lives will not improve, but we continue to try anyway.

Is there ever a right time to end a relationship and if so, when is it?

Here are 10 signs it’s time to end your relationship:

1. Physical Abuse

This might seem obvious, but when someone is deeply entrenched in a relationship, it is easy to explain away the behavior. They offer up a variety of excuses that justifies the abuse as if any justification would make it okay. Whether it’s the first time or the tenth, physical abuse is never acceptable and is only an indication of future trouble and heartache.

Do you feel unsafe leaving? Contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline for assistance at 1?800?799?7233. Help for domestic violence victims is a call or click away

2. An Unequal Partnership

If one person seems to be more in control inside the relationship, then it isn’t really in a relationship. A relationship is an exchange of give and take. Indeed, each person contributes or supports the relationship in different roles, at different times. If one person remains on a pedestal, it may be time for the other to find a relationship where they are valued as an equal partner.

3. The Lines of Communication Are Blocked

A strong relationship can’t exist without solid, free-flowing communication. It’s important to be comfortable talking about the tough subjects. It is a clear signal that it’s time to end a relationship if communication is being avoided for fear of certain types of reactions.

4. Addictive Behavior

It doesn’t matter the type of addiction, if it has infected the relationship, and they aren’t willing to stop the behavior, then the relationship is over. There is another relationship getting in the way, and that is between the other person and their addictive behavior and it’s in both parties best interest to walk away.

5. Patterns of Deceit

Whether it’s lying, cheating, or omitting information, a pattern of deceitful behavior is an indication that there is trouble. Of course, everyone makes mistakes, but when a pattern becomes evident, that’s when questioning the partnership should begin.

6. Your Feelings Have Changed

As we grow and evolve as individuals, the goal is to grow and evolve as a couple as well. But, unfortunately, that isn’t always the case. If one person’s feelings are moving from romantic to platonic, it’s time to change the status of the relationship.

7. A Lack of Respect

Mutual respect for each other, even in the face of disagreement, is necessary to keep the lines of communication open and for both parties to feel safe, secure and loved. If respect is lacking, and there is a constant feeling of being under attack, it might be time to call it quits.

8. There is An Absence of Emotion

If the relationship is based on physical attraction without an emotional investment, the relationship will eventually come to an end. It’s important that both partners are invested equally for the relationship to survive.

9. There’s Excessive Drama

If there is always an issue or crisis, stop feeding into it and consider that this may not be the healthiest of situations. Excess drama happens when someone is seeking attention, and that means they are looking for something that they most likely will not find in any relationship, much less the one they are in.

10. It Takes Too Much Effort

If everything about the relationship requires too much effort, you may have already given up on it. If date nights, celebrations, and even staying in feels like an inconvenience, it may be that the relationship is inconvenient.

Final Thought: Ending an Unhealthy Relationship Might Be Better Than Unhappiness

While all romances encounter bumps in the road from time to time, if there is a nagging voice that says something isn’t right, then it probably isn’t. It’s difficult to do, but when we take a step back and look at our relationships through our friends’ eyes, it will become much clearer what we should do.

10 Ways to Attract More Positive Relationships

August 22, 2015 by Power of Positivity

Our relationships are important to our overall well-being and life satisfaction. There is no upper limit on the number of positive people we can have in our lives. It has even been shown that people who live the longest and happiest lives are often surrounded by a positive support network.

Here are 10 ways to attract more positive relationships into your life.

1. Move out of negative spaces.

Moving out of negative spaces could refer to literally or figuratively. Sometimes it means physically leaving a location and other times it might be moving away from the negative space in our heads.

Negativity is all around us and by itself is not detrimental to our happiness or our relationships. The real harm is done when we stay in negative spaces. Moving out of it will look different in different situations, but do what you can to move away from it so you can attract the right people into your life.

2. Stop complaining and stop allowing others to complain to you.

We all need safe places to vent and air our grievances – that isn’t the issue. It is, however, draining on any relationship when the same grievance is a topic of conversation for significant periods of time.

The complainer isn’t the only one at fault either, the person listening to the complaining is equally responsible. Set boundaries for you and the people in your life about complaining. Venting is good and acceptable when followed by accepting the situation for what it is or by taking action to change it.

3. Love yourself first and spread that love around.

You can’t attract positive relationships into your life without loving yourself for exactly who you are. Once you become a priority in your life, you will be well-positioned to attract positive, nurturing relationships that support you and your goals.

4. Honor the past but do not live in it.

There is a lot of talking out there about letting go of the past. We have a hard time with this concept because it happened, and it is part of who we are. Letting go isn’t about forgetting, it’s about releasing the emotional hold it has on us. We should honor the past for the lessons it taught us but step out into the freedom of making choices independent of it.

5. Hold on to your power.

Our power comes from a solid belief in what we can do. When we begin to believe what others perceive we can do, we relinquish our power. It’s not something someone can take away; it’s something we give away – sometimes too willingly.

Stand up for what you know to be your truth. Listen to what other people have to say, but don’t always believe it as truth. Only you know your value and it isn’t found in someone else’s opinion of you.

This goes for praise as much as it does for criticism. We are so ready to accept praise as fact, but that is also a false sense of your value. Once you are standing firm in your truth, you will attract the right people into your support network.

6. View “no” as a relationship positive.

Whether you are on the giving end or receiving end of “no,” view it as a gift. No, even though negative in connotation, is moving you through an experience that is not right for you. “No” allows you to support and honor those things that matter most and it keeps those things that can drain your energy and power at bay.

7. Find the joy in every experience.

Admittedly, finding the joy in every experience can be challenging at times, but to attract the right people into your life it must be done. The bottom line is positive people are attracted to other positive people. Look for the bright side, the silver lining if you will, to the situation. Not only will help you with your mindset, but it will also bring more positive people into view.

8. Eliminate the worry.

If you think about worry objectively, then it’s easy to say it serves no purpose. It’s safe to say that there isn’t a challenge that was solved because someone worried more than another. Unfortunately, when we are in the midst of worry, all logic goes out the window. The best way to eliminate worry is to take some action because doing something productive shifts your thoughts from worry to solving a problem.

9. Be mindful of each moment in your relationship.

Mindfulness is a gift to any relationship. It allows us to be fully present and focused, and that shows the importance of the relationship to you. We aren’t the only ones looking for positive relationships; everyone is looking for them. So when we encounter someone who is mindful and present, we recognize it as something special.

10. Live from a place of gratitude.

There is no better way to attract more positive relationships than by living in a state of gratitude. Gratitude allows you to appreciate the relationships in your life which in turn will attract more like-minded people. If gratitude is the common denominator, then you know your relationships are serving you, and you are serving them.

5 Signs You Need To Drink More Water

August 21, 2015 by Chris Butler

Do you drink enough water each day?

Did you know that 25% of kids and teenagers don’t drink ANY as part of their fluid intake?

A surprising number of adults don’t drink enough of this resource, with one study finding that half of Americans don’t get their recommended daily intake of water. Many people down numerous caffeinated beverages throughout the day to stay awake but forget to drink the one liquid that is vital to our survival. Not drinking enough water can pose serious threats to your health, including digestive issues, urinary tract infections, premature aging, and anxiety.

Water makes up anywhere from 55-65% of your body, which means you need a lot of it to stay hydrated. The water in your body becomes depleted when you exercise and do other activities, so replacing it is crucial. Water aids in almost every bodily function, so it gives us life.

As the dehydration epidemic continues to grow, people have been searching for ways to drink more, such as bringing a gallon to work or making smoothies with water as the base. However, even with these attempts to drink more fluids, it’s crucial to recognize the signals from your body that you need more water.

These 5 Things Happen When You Need to Drink More Water

Here are five signs that you need t to hydrate:

1. Your mouth, skin, and eyes feel dry.

One of the most prominent signs you need to up your intake appears on your skin, believe it or not. If you don’t drink enough water, you won’t sweat out all the toxins accumulated on your skin, which means you will be prone to clogged pores, resulting in breakouts. Sweat also helps get rid of internal toxins, and since the skin is our largest organ, many toxins can be removed through it.

Also, if you have trouble producing tears, a lack of hydration could be the culprit. This could be incredibly uncomfortable for those who wear contacts, so make sure you bring a water bottle with you on errands or to work if you have trouble drinking enough water. Getting that dry mouth signals to your brain that you need more hydration, also. Water does so much for our bodies, and in general, that parched feeling you get in your mouth can be felt in other areas of the body.

2. You’re not using the bathroom often, and when you do, your urine is dark yellow or brown.

This one is a massive sign that you need to drink more water. Frankly, many people do not use the bathroom enough times throughout the day, which means toxins are just sitting in their bodies. Water helps flush out these toxins and keep your renal system running smoothly. If you make trips to the bathroom only a couple of times a day, you should consider boosting your intake.

Also, the color of your urine will paint an accurate picture of how much water you’re consuming. If your urine isn’t clear at the end of the day, this shows that you need to guzzle down some more water. Yellow or brown urine is a big sign that you’re dehydrated and means that your body retains fluids to maintain vital bodily functions.

3. You have frequent back and joint pain.

Since your body’s cartilage comprises nearly 80% water, replenishing water after sweating is essential for keeping bones and joints healthy. Water keeps joints lubricated to lessen the effects of strenuous activities or unexpected exertion, such as falling or tripping. In addition, back pain could indicate a kidney infection due to dehydration, so if you have frequent backaches, drink more water throughout the day.

4. You feel overly tired and have wild mood swings.

Water brings oxygen into the body. The more oxygenated your cells, the more alive you will feel. However, if you don’t drink enough water, the body must get oxygen from your blood, creating a deoxygenated environment. When your body doesn’t get adequate oxygen, it starts to operate slower, which means it must work harder to keep functioning. This will inevitably make you more tired, moody, and downright lazy.

5. You’re insatiably hungry, even if you’ve just eaten.

This might seem confusing since hunger pangs usually indicate that you need to eat more food. However, it can also mean that you haven’t had enough water. Dehydration tricks the body into thinking it needs to eat when you feel thirsty. Hunger and thirst cues come from the same part of the brain, explaining this confusion. The best way to differentiate hunger from thirst is to try drinking a glass of water to see if the pain is gone. If it persists, it probably means you need to eat something.

Why Is Water So Important?

Water keeps your body functioning correctly. It’s essential to stay healthy and feel your best–significant for all living things. It covers approximately 70% of the earth’s surface, primarily as oceans or seas.

In school, you learned that water goes through a constant cycle of evaporation, transpiration, condensation, and precipitation and runs off into the ocean. You may also remember realizing that water is composed of two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom, or H2O.

Back then, you probably didn’t realize the importance of staying hydrated. Water is vital to your body for several reasons, including:

Flushing bacteria out of your bladder
Carrying oxygen and nutrients to your body’s cells
Aiding your digestive system
Preventing constipation
Maintaining a regular heartbeat
Protecting your tissues and organs
Cushioning for your joints
Maintaining your body’s temperature
Keeping your sodium (electrolyte) balance
Maintain a healthy weight

Severe Dehydration

Severe dehydration is life-threatening. If you or someone you know experiences these symptoms, they need medical treatment immediately. Signs of severe dehydration include:

Low blood pressure
Rapid heartbeat
Not urinating for eight hours
Sunken eyes
Not sweating
Inability to make tears
Extreme confusion or disorientation
Lethargy

10 Hacks To Drink More Water

To stay completely hydrated, most people should drink around four to six cups of water every day. If you have a medical condition that causes you to dehydrate quickly, drink extra water to prevent dehydration. Try these tips to get you over the finish line.

1. Keep your water bottle handy

No doubt, you have several water bottles sitting around your house. Remember to fill them regularly and put them in the fridge. Then, when you’re thirsty, they’ll be chilled and ready for you to use. If you like to carry your water bottle to work or school, remember to refill it during the day to have water when you need it.

2. Drink a little water after each bathroom trip

Start a regular habit of taking a few sips after each bathroom trip. This is a simple way to drink more water every day. It’s easy to forget to drink water until you’re suddenly thirsty. At that moment, it’s tempting to grab a soda. Maintaining a regular habit of drinking water after you go to the bathroom prevents the urge to grab a sugary soda.

3. Ask for a glass of water when you eat out

When eating at your favorite restaurant, opt for a glass of water instead of a soda. You not only reduce your calories but save money because water is usually free at most restaurants. Dropping the soda habit can be instrumental in helping you lose weight.

4. Serve water at meals

Another simple way to increase your family’s and your water intake is to serve water at meals. You may have gotten into drinking something else with your meals. That’s okay, as long as you also include water at each meal. This is especially significant for your kids since kids often forget to drink water during the day. They get so busy playing; that they don’t want to stop for rehydrating. When you include water at every meal, you’ll be sure that your kids are hydrated.

5. Eat water-filled foods

You can increase your fluid intake by eating a wide variety of water-filled foods. Even though drinking water is essential, eating these foods contributes to staying hydrated.

Watermelon
Strawberries
Kiwi
Pineapple
Oranges, tangerines, grapefruits
Celery
Cucumbers
Lettuce
Tomatoes
Skim milk
Soups
Yogurt

6. Eat salty foods, especially in the summer heat

Over the past few years, salt has gotten a bad rap. Sodium is necessary for your body to function correctly. A recent study concludes that several health organizations’ recommendations for a low-sodium diet for the entire population aren’t healthy or necessary. These organizations suggest everyone should eat only 2.3 grams of sodium a day, which, according to this study, is below a healthy range of three grams to five grams of sodium daily.

Researchers say they developed these guidelines without actual evidence that reducing salt on a long-term basis for the entire population would lower cardiovascular disease and death. Surprisingly, no study has proven fewer cardiovascular events with sodium intake as low as 2.3 grams compared to the average amount of three grams to five grams a day. Until more studies prove otherwise, the study suggests that most people should consume three grams to five grams of sodium every day.

So, it makes sense to eat salty foods to increase your fluid intake, especially during the hot, humid months of the summer heat. When it’s hot outside, you sweat more. This fluid loss causes you to lose fluids. You need to drink more water to replace your fluids. Salty foods make you thirsty, so you drink more in the hotter months of the year. The healthiest salty foods include foods such as:

Salted nuts
Sardines
Olives
Sweet potato chips (homemade)
Goat cheese dip
Veggie chips
Avocado slices salted
Popcorn with sea salt
Kale chips with sea salt

7. Drink herbal teas

Herbal teas come from dried flowers, herbs, or seeds of plants. They are caffeine-free, so don’t dehydrate you as caffeinated drinks do. A cup of herbal tea is the same as a cup of water. Herbal teas are delicious hot or cold. They are great ways to increase your fluid intake.

8. Drink water after your workout

When you work out, you lose fluids through sweat. Drinking water after you exercise replaces these fluids. You’ll sweat even more if you exercise outside, especially on humid summer days. Be sure to drink enough throughout your workout and after your workout to ensure you replace the fluids you lost.

9. Set water intake goals

Most people should drink anywhere from four to six cups of water daily. If you take certain medications or have a health condition that causes you to be susceptible to dehydration, drink extra water. These conditions include:

Diabetes
Kidney disease
Addison’s disease
Having an infection that causes fever
Cystic fibrosis
Cancer treatments like radiation or chemotherapy, or surgery
Certain medications

Other sudden reasons that cause you to become dehydrated:

Diarrhea
Vomiting
Fever
Excessive sweating
Increase in urinating

10. Keep track of your progress

You can evaluate at the end of each day to see if you drank enough water. There are numerous tracking apps for your smartphone to monitor how much water you drink every day. You can set goals, check your status, and keep a chart of your 30-day progress.

Some sport infuser bottles indicate ounces and times of the day. So, at every hour, you drink several ounces of fluid. The gauge on the outer portion of the bottle shows your progress.

Many other gadgets help you keep track of your intake, such as hydration watches, smartphone alerts, and hydration reminders that you stick inside your water bottle.

Final Thoughts On Drinking Enough Water

It’s easy to forget how important water is for your body. You may have learned a lot about water when you were young, but you probably didn’t fully understand the significance of staying hydrated. Of course, today, you know how water affects your body. Staying hydrated helps your body to function correctly and prevents health problems. If you have a hard time remembering to drink water during the day, we hope this information will help you. Even if you implement only a couple of these hacks, you’ll see a difference. Staying healthy and feeling your best is worth the extra effort it takes to drink water throughout your day.

This Is What Happens To Your Body When You Meditate

August 21, 2015 by Power of Positivity

We have been bringing the benefits of meditation to light for some time now. Needless to say, we can’t share enough good things about this ancient peaceful practice. Meditation can literally transform your life from the inside out. Better yet, it only requires your willingness and presence in order to get started. Everyone meditates for different reasons. And there is no ‘wrong’ or ‘right’ way to do it.

Meditation is very much a personal journey. So no two people will have the same rituals when it comes to their practice. However, many people report the same benefits across the board after starting their meditation practice.

Meditation is not a means to an end. It is both the means and the end. – Jiddu Krishnamurti

This is what happens to your body when you meditate:

It decreases tension in the body.

One of the physical benefits of meditation includes feeling lower stress in all areas of the body. During meditation, the mind and body become extremely relaxed, which helps reduce cortisol levels. Because mindfulness meditation lowers stress and anxiety, this results in other important advantages, such as lessening the occurrence and severity of migraines, decreasing PMS symptoms in women, reducing joint pain and muscle aches, and much more. Anywhere that you experience tension in the body, meditation can alleviate the stress that causes this rigidity, and ultimately revitalize the body’s cells.

It slows down your heart rate and regulates breathing.

Numerous studies have attested to the fact that meditating helps lower the resting heart rate and slow down breathing. When you quiet the mind and focus solely on your breath, you will start tuning out from the fast-paced reality that most of us live in, and instead enter a space of solitude and peace. As your heart rate and breathing become regulated, this lowers the risk of many diseases, including high blood pressure, heart attacks, and strokes. You can even try a heart chakra meditation in order to let go of feelings of sadness or anger, and welcome love and compassion into your energy field.

You might also try mantra meditation. This practice focuses meditating on a specific phrase that focuses on an area you wish to work on. For example, to open your heart chakra and release stress from this region of the body, you could say, “I give and receive love openly, and release feelings that make my heart heavy.”

Meditation can lower blood pressure.

Another physical benefit of meditation is that your blood pressure could drop significantly, as proven by the patients in a study. Dr. Zusman, director of the hypertension program at Massachusetts General Hospital, now prescribes meditation to his patients more often than he recommends medication. He helped oversee a three-month study in which patients being treated for high blood pressure with prescription drugs took part in weekly one-on-one meditation sessions to learn the practice for themselves. After completing the study, many patients showed a remarkable drop in blood pressure. And, they dropped some of their medication.

Meditation increases the formation of a compound in the body called nitric oxide. This checmical allows blood vessels to open, therefore lowering blood pressure.

It makes your immune system stronger.

Meditation can increase the body’s immunity by boosting the presence of antibodies within the blood, which help fight infections. One study performed by researchers at UCLA found that HIV positive patients who meditated regularly maintained their level of CD-4 cells (a type of white blood cell that protects the body from infections), while those who did not meditate showed a drastic decrease in these cells.

Another study conducted by researchers from the University of Wisconsin found that, out of the 48 people who were given flu shots, the group that took part in regular meditation over the course of eight weeks had higher levels of antibodies in their blood compared to the group that did not meditate.

Meditating regularly activates the parasympathetic nervous system.

Everyone’s nervous system is comprised of two parts: the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems. Both these systems work together in order to maintain the proper functions of the nervous system. However, they have marked differences. The sympathetic nervous system controls our fight-or-flight response, raising blood pressure, increasing our heart rate, and contracting blood cells. In our stressful world, many people’s sympathetic nervous systems are constantly working to fight off all external stimuli that overwhelm our senses after repeated exposure.

However, meditation activates the parasympathetic nervous system, which counters the adverse effects of the overworked sympathetic nervous system. This part of the nervous system restores relaxation to the body by lowering the heart rate. Additionally, it is responsible for expanding the openings of the blood vessels and reducing stress levels.

Let us know in the conversation below how meditating impacts your life!

7 Things You Need to Know About Loving A Woman

August 21, 2015 by Power of Positivity

In many cases, women harbor more secrets than men about a variety of things. But when it comes to a man loving a woman, they typically make their intentions clear.

Why the difference?

It’s just in the makeup of a woman to keep secrets or to expect their partner to know what they want without them having to say it outright. Women have long been regarded as being more complex than men, and science backs this up because men and women’s brains are actually wired differently.

Women tend to speak through their emotions and remember faces and words more clearly. They have a high level of intuition, and usually feel more compassion and understanding toward others than men do. Since women operate through their feelings more than their minds, this can often confuse and frustrate men (and even other women) since women’s emotions fluctuate so frequently.

However, just because women are complicated creatures, does not mean they aren’t capable of being understood. While women may not voice the following things to you, she still wishes you could read her mind somehow.

We’ve made the deciphering a bit easier for you, and found some common things that most women want their partner to know.

Here are 7 secrets all men should know about loving a woman:

1. Speak up for yourself.

In the realm of relationship advice, this is an often-overlooked point when it comes to dating women. However, women generally enjoy dating someone who doesn’t just shake their head ‘yes’ to everything they say. Although they don’t want someone extremely contrary and argumentative, most women enjoy relationships with people who know how to stand up for themselves. Who can back up their opinions and not cave under pressure. You can still have a wonderful relationship with a man or woman without agreeing with every single thing they say or do.

2. Make time for your friends despite loving a woman.

While most women don’t want you to spend all your free time with friends, they do appreciate it when you go out a couple of times a week. That’s so they have the house to themselves, and can spend some time relaxing and doing ‘girl things’. Women want you to know that they encourage you to spend some time with your buddies, as long as you’re making enough time for them, too.

3. It’s okay to have a wild side but make sure you are there for her when she needs it.

Advice for men: most women really do want someone who embodies the whole package. An unapologetic bad boy who loves to show off and lives life on the edge, and also a stable, sweet person who goes out of his way for his lady. You can still have your motorcycles and fast cars and have that macho thing going on that every woman craves, while also getting in touch with your more sensitive side. When dating a woman, it all comes down to striking a perfect balance, and this includes your demeanor, as well.

4. Don’t just hear her words, actually listen to them.

Perhaps one of the biggest complaints women have is that their partners just don’t listen to what they have to say. They hear a few words out of the conversation, but don’t actually reflect on their meaning. Make sure in relationships, you listen to every word she says and don’t let the words get lost in translation. Respect her enough to care about what she says, and value her opinion. Relationships cannot survive without open lines of communication, and being able to listen to each other without interjecting.

5. Dig a little deeper.

Sometimes, women don’t tell the full story of how they feel or what’s on their minds. When dating a woman, it’s your job to uncover these secrets by asking more questions and really showing her you’re interested in knowing how she feels. She isn’t trying to play games with you, but rather, protect herself from feeling too vulnerable, or feeling like a burden to you. Let her know that you will always be there for her and that anything she says is safe with you. In a sea of emotions, women require stability and safety. If you can be her rock, she will never leave your side.

6. Do nice things for her that shows you care (even opening the door goes a long way).

After a while in a relationship, both people involved tend to slack on the sweet gestures and words of affection. However, even if this sounds like your relationship, you can always do something small, such as leaving a nice note for her to read before she leaves for work, or just taking her out to eat. You don’t have to do anything fancy; just let her know that you love and appreciate her, and still care deeply about her.

7. More than anything, remind her why she’s so special to you.

Loving a woman doesn’t have to be as complicated as some people make it seem; all women truly want is to feel wanted. They want to feel loved, important and taken care of. They want to feel like someone’s entire world, not just a part of it. Don’t hesitate to tell her all the reasons why you fell in love with her in the first place; remember, women speak in the language of emotions, so don’t be afraid to show your more sensitive side to her.

10 Places Most Introverts Avoid

August 19, 2015 by Power of Positivity

Navigating a very social, overstimulating world as an introvert comes with many seemingly insurmountable challenges. Furthermore, it can often feel nearly impossible to cope with a world that seems to never stop talking.

Introverts and extroverts simply have different brains that react to stimuli in virtually opposite ways. So extroverts respond more strongly to external events,. On the other hand, introverts gain energy from solitary activities.

Introverts have been mislabeled and misunderstood for quite some time, often viewed as rude, antisocial, unfeeling, and uninterested. However, introverts simply don’t see the need to ruin the beauty of silence. That is, unless their words will truly make a difference. They relish in their quiet time, and would rather not pollute the silence with useless chatter. Introverts DO enjoy connecting with others, just in a more laid-back, less stressful environment than most social situations offer.

“Don’t think of introversion as something that needs to be cured…Spend your free time the way you like, not the way you think you’re supposed to.” ~Susan Cain

If you identify as an introvert, you probably can relate to the following places that most introverts avoid:

1. Parties and large social events

More than anything, this particular social event makes introverts run for the hills. Parties usually mean lots of people, an abundance of noise, and for the most part, a lack of meaningful, stimulating conversation. If you do catch an introvert at a party, they likely will be sitting outside with a small group of friends, chatting quietly about something other than the party they’re at.

2. Going to a social event where they don’t know anyone

This is another area where introverts and extroverts differ; an extrovert would do totally fine going to a place where no one knows them, but an introvert will quickly retreat into his or her shell. An introvert needs to feel comfortable first before opening up to new people, and being thrown into a new situation before getting their toes wet just doesn’t fall in line with the characteristics of an introvert.

You’ll probably find them at the punch table, trying to find a quiet place to sit amongst the crowd.

3. Job interviews and meetings

Introverts can’t come up with things to say on the fly, which is why job interviews are particularly difficult for those with an introvert personality. No matter how much they prepare, they still might stumble over some words or just feel awkward about the whole thing in general. Furthermore, they don’t like having the spotlight on them. Therefore, getting to brag about their successes and strengths for a solid thirty minutes or so just doesn’t appeal to them.

At meetings, they also have to have something prepared beforehand, rather than just being called on spontaneously. Quiet introverts would rather just listen to others’ ideas rather than input their own opinions.

4. Family functions and reunions

Yet another thing that introverts can’t stand is a big gathering of family members they have, for the most part, never met before who they know nothing about. They know that family reunions promise forced conversations and awkward laughs about childhood stories and memories, and introverts would rather just sit under a tree with a good book and enjoy the day in peace. An introvert can easily adapt to a small gathering with family members they grew up with and know well, but dealing with many new faces all at once can quickly overwhelm an introvert.

5. First dates

First dates can even seem awkward and nerve-wracking to extroverts, much less those more prone to introversion. However, sometimes a first date might find an introvert’s struggle with words endearing, which can make the introvert feel much more at ease. Even if the two know each other fairly well before the date, the whole idea of impressing someone and keeping the conversation flowing can greatly intimidate an introvert.

6. Places that are jam-packed with people (concerts, elevators, etc)

Introverts hate places that have people packed in its walls like sardines, not only because of the amount of people, but also due to the noise factor. One of the traits of an introvert is avoiding overly noisy or crowded places, so navigating such an environment can be challenging for an introvert.

In an elevator, an introvert will nervously glance at the numbers to see how far it is until their stop. They also will scoot as far away from others as possible to maintain their space. At a concert, introverts prefer a smaller venue over a major show.

7. Going to a busy place like a mall or supermarket

Another social situation that introverts can’t stand is somewhere bright, loud, and swarming with people, such as a mall or supermarket. The stimuli simply overwhelm their senses, and they find it hard to concentrate on the task at hand with so much interfering with their train of thought.

8. Company dinners

Introverts may have one or two close friends at their place of employment. However, getting together with the entire company for dinner can make them break out in a nervous sweat. Especially if they have to give a speech or stand up in front of everyone to accept an award or promotion. However, this is one of the least intimidating social situations, since they will likely know many people at the gathering.

9. Extremely loud places

You can count an introvert out of any overly noisy place. That’s because they feel buried beneath all the chatter too quickly. They have a hard time processing all the noise at once, while an extrovert thrives on this kind of stimulation.

10. Blind dates

First dates are intimidating enough, but a blind date? Not a chance. If they don’t click with the person, that just makes for an even more awkward time for an introvert, as they search to find any sort of common ground. Introversion and blind dates really don’t even belong in the same sentence, because they normally won’t go for such a wild idea.

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