I was just this morning reading an article by Wendy Squires on the “Mamamia” FB page, where she addressed her need for what I call downtime.
This quote is useful & I don’t know who wrote it but it sounds like a practicing psychologist
“The key difference [between introverts and extroverts] is how the person recharges. Which environment best juices your batteries? Some people charge their batteries by surrounding themselves with other people; those are the extroverts. Being alone in focused solitude is draining for extroverts. Others charge their batteries by finding alone time; those are introverts. Being in a social setting is draining for introverts.
Well-rested introverts can (theoretically) handle large, intense social situations just fine if they’ve had time to recharge. Similarly, if an extrovert has had plenty of time to be around people and find that stimulation they crave, staying home alone isn’t going to feel as crippling as if you ask them to do so on Friday night after they’ve been cooped up in an office all week.
It’s also helpful to think of introversion and extroversion as being somewhat similar to being right or left handed. Most of us will be one or the other, but writing with your right hand doesn’t render your left hand inert. Similarly, an extroverted person can still do things that aren’t typically associated with extroversion. Meanwhile, introverts can learn to adapt to more extroverted scenarios, even if it might not come as naturally.”
For me as this combination of introvert and extrovert (I can’t decide which I am , and must I?) still means I must have “downtime” or I get a sense of what feels like depression where there are lots of things to be unraveled and insights to be had and interesting internal work to do and it is all banking up.
So like one of my friends says have a “duvet day” or indeed half a day or two days.
This is the time I give myself to let in process that “wants to tell me of itself, like for instance where I actually stand in some relationships, not where I think I’d like to be; I get to do my forgiveness work, my gratitude work; I reconnect on a level that I have been unable to due to commitments and busy social interactions, one after the other.
Down time is so necessary for me. This self-nurturing looks like a slipper and pajamas time with much lying around and maybe a rainforest walk. We all have our favorites.
But it is the forgiveness and gratitude that re-contextualizes for me any and all anxiety that might have accumulated during a busy time and through that the insight is revealed. And the Love established without opposite.
Thank you and all the best
Margo

Author's Bio: 

Margo Knox is an author speaker and mentor to people in the third age of life. Consciously age-ing and wanting to do thier forgiveness work during this unique time.
She is the author of "Conscious Ageing, 7 Steps to Claiming Your Eldership" http://www.margoknox.com
http://www.babyboomerswithpurpose.com