I'm an introvert. This surprises a lot of people, because I have a pretty big personality, but it is true. I am exhausted by too many people and too much contact with the world. After a big event, I always need to return to my baseline—reading a book quietly on the couch—to recharge my batteries. So, for me, the first six months of Covid restrictions were just fine. I did a lot of reading on the couch, and had daily touchpoints with my staff, but they lasted 45 minutes, tops, and I could get back to working in peace and quiet.
But the last two months or so, I've started to really, really miss the humans outside my small bubble. Luckily, there were places around me where I could safely meet people for outdoor coffees and drinks, although as a hugger, it is REALLY hard for me to just wave at people when I first see them. I've had two or three of these meetings a week, and it has been lovely.
Now, though, winter is coming. I am not lucky enough to live in a part of the country where outdoor dining is an option year-round, so I know that I'm staring down the barrel of either REALLY cold coffees and drinks with folks, or a retreat to the digital world. And because I don't like my lattes with a side of frostbite, digital it is.
With all the practice I've gotten in the past few months, though, I'm becoming a lot more intentional about my connections with the outside world. I'm making a point of reaching out to everyone in my network (slowly, over time, so I don't overwhelm my schedule or my introversion) to set up times to talk. I miss people, and I miss human connections and it is on me to get those going again. Even without hugs.