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Hello fellow introverts and friends,
As introverts, we have warning signs when we're about to overextend ourselves, but are we paying attention?
For me, it's a sense of increasing pressure around the top of my head. It's the kind of pressure that threatens to turn into a headache, and definitely will if I ignore it. And that headache may last a few days. No, it's not a migraine; it's the headache that comes when I have done too much peopling and am running on fumes.
Your body might give you other signs: extreme fatigue, insomnia, aches and pains. But if you're paying attention, you'll likely realise that you get the same signs under the same circumstances. I certainly do.
There are lots of times and lots of ways this warning sign can be triggered. It goes without saying that if there are too many days of back to back peopling, socialising, networking, being in busy offices, I will eventually pay the price.
But at other times it's important to consider the more subtle signals, like when you wake up and feel less than refreshed. That means you're starting in deficit before anything else has happened that day. On days like that, my social battery drains faster, until I get to the point that I don't want to see anyone else, let alone converse with them.
And that's without the other things that drain you: masking your introversion, masking your neurodivergence, code switching and mentally and physically changing yourself to fit into something that's perceived as "the norm".
Back in the day, I would ignore my personal warning sign. After all, I had a job to do and nobody knew or cared about my introversion. But now I know that I don't serve anyone by going till I'm depleted so it's important to pause and take that time to recharge. It's one of the reasons I'm leaning out.
My questions for you: are you tuned into the signs that you've had enough? And do you push through, or take a pause to recharge?
I'd love to know, so hit reply.
Stay quiet, stay powerful,
Sharon
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Sharon Hurley Hall is an anti-racism educator, author of I’m Tired of Racism, and founder of the SHHARE anti-racism community and of Sharon’s Anti-Racism Newsletter, which provides tools and lived experiences to fuel systemic change. A seasoned professional writer and journalist, she leverages over 30 years of experience to mentor introverted leaders, and is co-founder and co-host of the Introvert Sisters Podcast. Her recent work focuses on helping Black and Global Majority women achieve high-impact visibility and professional influence without the exhaustion of performing extroversion.
© Sharon Hurley Hall, 2026. All Rights Reserved. This newsletter is published on beehiiv (affiliate link).