Green Fuel: Nature Nurturing Introverts

Audrey Hepburn photographed with her Jack Russell terrier, Penny, at La Paisible c. 1980s.

I'm an introvert... I love being by myself, love being outdoors, love taking a long walk with my dogs and looking at the trees, flowers, the sky.

~Audrey Hepburn

Who knew I’d identify so closely with a film and fashion icon?

From a young age, I savored my alone time. Whether I had my nose in a book, or happily played by myself under a giant rhododendron in the backyard, I instinctively knew I needed to get away from the hubbub of a busy household to recoup my energy. I had a significant health issue as a child and I think my quiet nature was often misunderstood (by me, and by others) as being connected to my physical limitations.

Thanks to a successful open-heart surgery, my health improved dramatically in my school-age years. With renewed physical energy, I constantly pushed myself to keep up with my classmates throughout high school and into college. I fought against the part of me that craved peace and quiet, because I connected it with being weak. I didn’t want to be associated with the kid who’d always sat on the sidelines, walked at a slow pace, and rarely spoke up. To me, my extroverted friends seemed healthy and vibrant, and I wanted to be just like them. I made a concerted effort to be social and rarely missed an opportunity to go out.

But playing that game exhausted me to my core. It wasn’t until my mid-twenties that I better understood what it meant to be an introvert. While I can be outgoing and sociable for a period of time, I need to balance it with quiet time in order to gather up energy, recharge, and move forward each day. I need alone time in the same way I need healthy food, exercise, and a good night’s sleep. If I’d better understood the difference between being weak and being introverted, I might have taken better care of myself as a young adult.

Along the way, I discovered that, in addition to time alone, being outdoors and working in the garden also revives me when I feel depleted. This is part of what led me to grave care work as well as my interest in learning more about floral design. I initially considered my sidegig, Serene & Green, a “break” from my job as a fundraiser, a creative outlet. But in reality, working with flowers and caring for gravesites actually restores my energy and enables me to dive back into a relatively extroverted job each Monday morning with focus and drive.

Are you an introvert? How has being an introvert played out in your life? Does nature nurture your energy level? I’d love to hear your own reflections and insights.