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Your energy threshold

á´…eparted

passages
Joined
Jan 25, 2014
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8,265
How long can you go without social interaction?
Weeks, but it doesn't mean I weather it well. I become all kinds of a mess without social interaction for a few days. I've just been so used to it for so long that I don't automatically realize that I feel aweful because I have been isolated too much. So to be more specific, I can a day tops without ill effects.

How long can you go without alone time?
A few days. It depends on who I am around. If it's people I am close with, I can go without it for a very long time. Really all I need is an hour or so (usually) of "down" time where I am with my own thoughts doing my own things, but people can be around me while I do that.

What situations drain you the most--clubs, seminars, a weekend alone, parties, etc?
I am going to echo [MENTION=4945]EJCC[/MENTION] and say boredom. It really messes me up. It's one of the core reasons I like to be busy. Other situations where I am forced to be quiet and just listen when I have thoughts in my head that I want to get out. Sitting quietly in meetings for me is aweful most of the time.

What energizes you?
Being active and productive! In otherwords, being busy. When I have a project, a goal, or w/e I am usually energized by it.

How long does it take to recover from a draining situation?
Either a few minutes, or a few days, it depends. If I am whacked upside the head really bad, it can take a really really long time. I'm finding that a good nights sleep, and a day of productivity is just what the doctor ordered. I should note: productivty is a pretty broad statement for me. Hanging out with friends, playing a game, or going on a hike feels like productivity to me. I mean, ultimately my favorite form of being busy is being busy having fun.
 

fetus

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How long can you go without social interaction?
Weeks, but it doesn't mean I weather it well. I become all kinds of a mess without social interaction for a few days. I've just been so used to it for so long that I don't automatically realize that I feel aweful because I have been isolated too much. So to be more specific, I can a day tops without ill effects.

How long can you go without alone time?
A few days. It depends on who I am around. If it's people I am close with, I can go without it for a very long time. Really all I need is an hour or so (usually) of "down" time where I am with my own thoughts doing my own things, but people can be around me while I do that.

What situations drain you the most--clubs, seminars, a weekend alone, parties, etc?
I am going to echo [MENTION=4945]EJCC[/MENTION] and say boredom. It really messes me up. It's one of the core reasons I like to be busy. Other situations where I am forced to be quiet and just listen when I have thoughts in my head that I want to get out. Sitting quietly in meetings for me is aweful most of the time.

What energizes you?
Being active and productive! In otherwords, being busy. When I have a project, a goal, or w/e I am usually energized by it.

How long does it take to recover from a draining situation?
Either a few minutes, or a few days, it depends. If I am whacked upside the head really bad, it can take a really really long time. I'm finding that a good nights sleep, and a day of productivity is just what the doctor ordered. I should note: productivty is a pretty broad statement for me. Hanging out with friends, playing a game, or going on a hike feels like productivity to me. I mean, ultimately my favorite form of being busy is being busy having fun.

Hey, random question. Some of this stuff kinda sounds like 7 behavior. You don't have 7 in your tritype, do you?
 

á´…eparted

passages
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Hey, random question. Some of this stuff kinda sounds like 7 behavior. You don't have 7 in your tritype, do you?

I relate to 7 to some degree, but I have always felt I have more 6 behavior and traits in me. I think others will agree, and after meeting [MENTION=4945]EJCC[/MENTION] who does have 7 in her tritype, I don't think I have it. Another hallmark of 7 is being mellow. I am decidedly unmellow.

My tritype is 136 (though 3 is not very visible online, it's very visible in person).

1 also integrates to 7, so we appear a bit more 7 like when we are healthy, and I am fairly healthy currently.
 

fetus

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I relate to 7 to some degree, but I have always felt I have more 6 behavior and traits in me. I think others will agree, and after meeting [MENTION=4945]EJCC[/MENTION] who does have 7 in her tritype, I don't think I have it. Another hallmark of 7 is being mellow. I am decidedly unmellow.

My tritype is 136 (though 3 is not very visible online, it's very visible in person).

1 also integrates to 7, so we appear a bit more 7 like when we are healthy, and I am fairly healthy currently.

Sevens are mellow? I've always thought they were more energetic.
 

á´…eparted

passages
Joined
Jan 25, 2014
Messages
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Sevens are mellow? I've always thought they were more energetic.

Maybe that was the wrong word.

They aren't bothered by things. They don't get worked up easily over "messes", inaccuracies, want to try and experience EVERYTHING, and have a laid-back approach to things. That's not me. Though I do want to experience lots of things, that is more of a learned skill. It's not natural.

I may be very energetic, but there's different kinds of energetic. My energy has a permanent air of tension to it. It tends to wear most people out unless we're on a similar wavelength.
 

EJCC

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Maybe that was the wrong word.

They aren't bothered by things. They don't get worked up easily over "messes", inaccuracies, want to try and experience EVERYTHING, and have a laid-back approach to things. That's not me. Though I do want to experience lots of things, that is more of a learned skill. It's not natural.

I may be very energetic, but there's different kinds of energetic. My energy has a permanent air of tension to it. It tends to wear most people out unless we're on a similar wavelength.
^ Agreed. [MENTION=24479]themightyfetus[/MENTION] you may be seeing 7 integration, as 1 integrates to 7.

The downside of that permanent chill -- which I think I have to a degree -- is that a lot of times it's nothing but a form of denial. Deluding yourself into thinking that nothing's wrong, until that wrong thing KO's you and you're left lying on the ground not knowing what happened. But of course, an upside is that it's usually a quick and easy process to get back up again :)
 

Ghost

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How long can you go without social interaction? How long can you go without alone time?

The times I've gone the longest without social interaction I was in a deep depression, so I'm not sure that counts since it obviously wasn't healthy. I don't think I do well without social interaction on a regular basis. My thinking gets weird, and returning to social situations is even more awkward because I'm out of practice.

As for too much social interaction, I think 10 minutes might be my current limit for when I have to talk with several people and an hour for one-on-one conversations. During break time at work or during lulls at a party, I always escape and go somewhere to be alone. I was like that even at school, finding a hiding place and relaxing there. I didn't realize how much of a habit it was until last year.

I didn't count interacting with my family. They're a lot less draining for me since they're in my comfort zone. I can't spend all my time with them, but they're much more tolerable than strangers or acquaintances.

What situations drain you the most--clubs, seminars, a weekend alone, parties, etc? What energizes you?

Parties drain me the most. I don't mind crowds for brief periods as long as I don't have to interact with them (like at a mall or a concert), but I still get drained. Even when I find a quiet place to sit and reflect, letting everyone else become part of the background, I won't feel as comfortable as I do when completely alone.

I'm not energized by being alone. It's more like returning to a certain level. Social interaction is draining and it takes time to recover my equilibrium, but it's not like I get surplus energy that way. I'm just trying to stay even. What does energize me is being a new or interesting place, regardless of the people.

How long does it take to recover from a draining situation?

This I don't know. At least a day? Maybe longer if it was a big to-do. I tend to avoid draining situations in the first place, so it's hard to say.
 

21%

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Not sure if family members and SO count as 'social interactions', but if they do then maybe 50/50 hang out time to alone time. But if you don't count the immediate circle as 'social interactions' the. I have a very low need to ever go out and meet people. Maybe once every month or so.
 

Kas

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Apr 22, 2015
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2,554
How long can you go without social interaction?
Completely? About two days then I really need to meet somebody. With mails, phonecalls etc a bit longer.

How long can you go without alone time?
I depends. I don't really need to be alone, I need the time to think calmly to recharge. On the trips I like bonfires or walks at the night (when everybody is tired and rather lost in their minds) and then I can think. Talking one-to-one is good enough too. I do sometimes go to sleep later than everyone when I need some calm time. Generally it's usually not a problem. But it depends on people. When somebody is following me all the time and talking to me all the time and asking me questions all the time it's tiring to me.

What situations drain you the most--clubs, seminars, a weekend alone, parties, etc?
I would say parties drain me the most. I don't mind crowds and talking to a lot of people, I like it (although I'm rather shy), but then when I come back home I'm very tired. On the other hand I don't like most when nothing is happening, it makes me loose energy too (and honestly it's the worst).

What energizes you?
Getting involved into something I'm interested in, learning new things, meeting interesting people.

How long does it take to recover from a draining situation?
A day is enough.


__________________________________________


Depends on your definition of "alone time". If I can fit in 5-10 minutes here and there, and if the people I'm with don't annoy me, than I can go for days and days. Maybe weeks.

Oh, so this is what it means to be etrovert, I'm beginning to understand. ;)

Btw I think that socially it's easier to need time with people than to need time alone. What a person who needs some lonliness can answer for the question:"Do you prefer sit alone than spend time with me?"... People sometimes don't get it.
 

EJCC

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^ Re-reading my previous post here, I'd like to change "5-10 minutes" to "30 minutes to 3 hours". At least if we're talking about more than a day or two.
 

Virtual ghost

Complex paradigm
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Jun 6, 2008
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How long can you go without social interaction?


My longest was basically the whole year on my own and I did not have a problem with that in that moment. (no family, no friends, no job, only student in the class but even that was only 4 months in a year, always driving in empty public buses ... etc.)


How long can you go without alone time?

A few days if I really like the people. If not even the 15 minutes can be too much.
I have a ability to be with people but not be mentaly there with them ... and this factor can greatly prolonge social time for me as an introverted person.


What situations drain you the most--clubs, seminars, a weekend alone, parties, etc?

Unwanted situations do not really drain me, they annoy me. (and that can be draining)
But this depends on the specifics: do I like the people there, do I like the music at the party, is this seminar something that interest me or the lecturer just sucks ... etc.



What energizes you?

Moving towards my goals, twisted humor, making plans for the whole group, science/technology talk, field trips/adventures, board games ...



How long does it take to recover from a draining situation?

Depends.
However I can often just say to myself "this sucks" in unwaned/boring situations in which there is a lot of people I don't really know. Therefore I usually just go away without goodbye and I get instant recharge of energy as I go throughout door(s).
 

small.wonder

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How long can you go without social interaction?

This very much depends on whether we are talking large scale social interaction, or smaller scale. Small scale social interaction with intimates is vital for me on a daily basis-- I get very bull-in-a-china-shop if I'm not meeting up with, or at least connecting with close friends throughout the week. Large scale social interaction on the other hand, I could go without for awhile (as long as I have the intimate relationship time that I need). I have found that at times when I don't have the former, I turn to the latter (larger social environments) to get the intimacy I need.


How long can you go without alone time?

I can be in small community for a long time without needing alone time. I'd probably need it once in awhile, to journal and process, maybe like an hour or two each day.


What situations drain you the most--clubs, seminars, a weekend alone, parties, etc?

I do get physically and mentally tired after being in large social environments for a whole day, or after being in the city. That said, I feel very negative if I'm totally alone too long (like more than a day without interacting at depth with another individual), but it's not draining-- more like frustrated or agitated. I think it's the need to get my Sx fix.

What energizes you?

Deep conversations about the inner workings of people and relationships. Creating, be it writing, painting, dance, constructing or simply allowing a vision to fall together-- I love doing this collaboratively (with specific individuals). Doing things with friends (individuals or small groups) out in nature, hiking, swimming, going new places, driving around. Basically anything that knits people together and allows for an environment of vulnerability and conversation. :wubbie:

How long does it take to recover from a draining situation? Recovering from being in a city, or in a large social setting for a whole day usually involves a nap, eating food, writing, reading, etc. It doesn't usually take more than a day for me to bounce back, but it might be at least a week before I go back to the city... :D
 

Kullervo

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How long can you go without social interaction? How long can you go without alone time?
Obviously every human being needs both, but each of us has our own individual threshold. Also, a lot of times it depends on the situation.
What situations drain you the most--clubs, seminars, a weekend alone, parties, etc? What energizes you? How long does it take to recover from a draining situation?

Though I have huge reserves of mental and emotional energy (one of the few positives to ADHD) - to an extent some have called "scary" - I am without doubt an introvert.

I think the ideal for me is going out once every two weeks to a month. I really don't need to be around a lot of people to feel happy. Paradoxically, I hate being alone. What is important to me is finding one person, a romantic partner, who I can merge with and invest a lot of energy and time in. Spending time with that someone energizes me, because the emotional intensity is very stimulating. I enjoy being obsessed and consumed, and pushing the boundaries. Being in a group bores and drains me, especially if I can't control the pace. I tend to be a party pooper.

Attending a social event, I quickly become irritable and restless unless heavily lubricated with alcohol. I need personal space and feel violated around lots of people, especially indoors as I cannot escape.
 

fetus

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Though I have huge reserves of mental and emotional energy (one of the few positives to ADHD) - to an extent some have called "scary" - I am without doubt an introvert.

I think the ideal for me is going out once every two weeks to a month. I really don't need to be around a lot of people to feel happy. Paradoxically, I hate being alone. What is important to me is finding one person, a romantic partner, who I can merge with and invest a lot of energy and time in. Spending time with that someone energizes me, because the emotional intensity is very stimulating. I enjoy being obsessed and consumed, and pushing the boundaries. Being in a group bores and drains me, especially if I can't control the pace. I tend to be a party pooper.

Attending a social event, I quickly become irritable and restless unless heavily lubricated with alcohol. I need personal space and feel violated around lots of people, especially indoors as I cannot escape.

I feel you.
And hey, are you sure you aren't sx first?
 

cascadeco

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Dancing and hiking and exercising with other people, I can just keep going and going. But you don't always have to be talking during those times.

Yep, add taking trips/traveling, and I'm the same. I have traveled overseas with friends, and also gone camping with friends, and there's time where no one's talking and it's just doing activities and sharing experiences together, I can do this for weeks and I don't feel drained. (so we might be in the same physical space, each reading or chit chatting now and then, and that works for me)

But for me, being with people with the express purpose of just talking, like meeting for coffee or going out for dinner, I can get 'drained' after a few hours, or quickly if I don't feel there's a connection. But for me that probably has more to do with my having anxiety around not having anything else to say, depending. Otoh, I've sometimes had conversations for hours and it's been ok, just depends on the situation. But as a general rule it's the conversation thing that can wear me out, not actually being with people or doing activities.

Re being alone, one day is fine, two might be ok, but by the second day I would really have a need to get out and at least do something, just by myself at home on day 2 is usually not a good thing.
 

Froody Blue Gem

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I can potentially go for days, potentially weeks on end. When I have had days or hours of alone time, and someone interrupts, I still feel invaded upon. I do like spending time with people but it has it's limits. With people who I like, I can spend hours with them, maybe roughly a day or two.

I'm not a happy camper if it goes on for too long. I get very easily overwhelmed and drained with interaction, especially if people keep on going on about topics I'm not really interested in, or if certain personalities are involved.
 

Saturnal Snowqueen

Solastalgia 𓍊𓋼𓍊𓋼𓍊
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How long can you go without social interaction?

Probably a week I'd say? After that, I wouldn't want to be showered with attention, but it'd feel eerie with no people in the house. I'd miss the bf most of course. Do online interactions count? I have a higher threshold for online interactions, but even online ones get tiring. I'd say a week for those too. I'd miss my pets more quickly then I'd miss humans-I could probably go 2 days without my pets at the most then start getting antsy.

How long can you go without alone time?

A few hours at the most. Even with people I like, I get drained quickly and want to go hide in the bathroom. It might sound dramatic, but it's hard for to me to genuinely enjoy socializing a lot of the time.

What situations drain you the most--clubs, seminars, a weekend alone, parties, etc?

Parties. There was a party at my dorm a couple weeks ago and I remember I walked in and people were screaming and so I was about to scoot out. Then the RD was like, "Are you gonna stay?", so I just shimmied in and got some food, and I did come for the presents(I got an ice chipper). Then she was like, "I'm so glad you came!", cause I was basically known as a hermit. Clubs can be draining too, but hey, I joined them for a reason, so a little less. Group projects are also pretty draining as well as visiting people and/or having visitors(though I like exploring people's houses).

What energizes you? How long does it take to recover from a draining situation?

Watching a good show, seeing new places, music to dance to, making art, gaming, drinking some tea and relaxing on the couch. Recharging, a good 5-10 hours.
 

Earl Grey

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How long can you go without social interaction?
I'm counting even online interactions. A couple of weeks. I've gone at least a month and was OK (if it's just not talking).

How long can you go without alone time?
5 DAYS IS REALLY, REALLY, REALLY, REALLY PUSHING IT. And that's just lax interaction. That also depends on how much / how intensely the interaction happens- if it's say, a party, don't expect to hear from me anymore for a few days, AT LEAST 2.

What situations drain you the most--clubs, seminars, a weekend alone, parties, etc?
If it's loud and/or high-activity in general. I find that things like seminars, classes, etc where you don't actually have to talk are okay, especially if it's about something I like.

What energizes you?
Sometimes I get quite inspired, and can go on a spree. It can be any spree. But those sprees usually do not involve people. Recharging is a type of energizing I guess, so, just generally spending time alone. I find that I more often wish I had lesser interaction than more. It's like trying to cut back on food while you're almost constantly being overfed. Ick.

How long does it take to recover from a draining situation?
Depends on how draining it is. I definitely need at least my weekends (so, 2 days) to myself and sometimes after a lot of interaction within the week, even that isn't enough. I can take days, or just completely refuse social interaction for weeks. I already have too much- more than enough.
 

Coriolis

Si vis pacem, para bellum
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How long can you go without social interaction?
No idea. I suspect I could go without in person social interaction for quite some time - weeks, months perhaps. I can tolerate and enjoy more online interaction with specific people whose comany I appreciate.

How long can you go without alone time?
I need some every day, to avoid becoming overly stressed and irritable.

What situations drain you the most--clubs, seminars, a weekend alone, parties, etc?
Anything with crowds, especially when loud. Anything where I have to interact alot, as opposed to staying quietly on the sidelines. Anything where I have limited control of the conditions - e.g. when I must arrive, when I can leave, what I am expected to do there, etc.

What energizes you?
Being able to pursue interesting ideas and projects. Getting things that are important to me done.

How long does it take to recover from a draining situation?
Depends. Can take several days if the situation is prolonged and extreme, or if it is a series of events. For instance, I had to play for two Christmas Eve services, and then attend a party. I was absolutely wiped out the next day, and still tired the following day.
 
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