After my much-needed holiday break, I've taken some time to evaluate my social life or lack thereof. This led me to think a lot about my social battery, a term I frequently see on the internet.
A social battery is defined as "the amount of energy a person has for socializing." We are often told to surround ourselves with the right people and prioritize the quality of friendships over the quantity. Still, sometimes, even the right people can feel socially draining. Being in college means our social batteries are almost always running, which means recharging them can be challenging.
While extroverted people might enjoy constant socializing, as a more introverted person, it is the complete opposite. When we are constantly surrounded by classmates, friends and even roommates, we are required to socialize. Having designated alone time is crucial to your happiness in college, but this is extremely difficult when there is almost nowhere to be truly alone on campus.
Another challenge is that, as humans, socializing is essential to curating happy and healthy friendships. It might just be the pathological people pleaser in me, but I feel guilty when I have people in my life reaching out to do things, but I do not have the energy to put forth. Although we are in a generation better at understanding and recognizing boundaries, it can still feel like we are putting off friendships unintentionally.
Whenever I go and do something with a low or drained social battery, I dread it nearly every time. I feel tired, and I can't help but think I'm making the people I'm with feel tired as well (there's that people pleaser again). On the other hand, not going makes me feel like I'm totally missing out. I feel like I can't win no matter what.
Despite the challenges of having a quickly-drained social battery, learning to navigate it and determine its percentage is almost like a superpower. Listening to your social battery is one of the most important factors in learning about yourself, especially during college.
When you begin to gauge the life of your social battery, it can be essential to learn when to schedule events, what days you will be the most willing to be around lots of people, etc. Learning what things recharge your social battery the best is also important. For example, I prioritize having some alone time daily, whether with a book, in the gym or even just grabbing food or coffee by myself. Of course, life happens, and we will face many social interactions we just don't have the energy for. Learning when you have that energy and how much of it you have can be a super useful life skill.
The more we pay attention to our social batteries and the social batteries of our friends, the better we can support ourselves and those around us. I hope others can find a sense of relatability or comfort in knowing that having a social battery can be more difficult than it seems. Remember to always recharge before returning to the great big world and yapping everyone's ear off.
Abby Jenkins is a sophomore studying journalism at Ohio University. Please note that the views and opinions of the columnist do not reflect those of The Post. What are your thoughts? Let Abby know by tweeting her @abbyjenks18 or emailing her at aj205621@ohio.edu.
