Social interaction is like breathing.
Time spent with people and time spent without people is like breathing in and breathing out.
…Which is considered a breath in and which is considered a breath out, however, differs person to person.
For some, time alone is a breath in and time spent with others is a breath out.
For others, time spent with others is a breath in and time spent alone is a breath out.
Neither way is better than the other—breathing is breathing.
What’s important to know, however, is which feels like which to you and then balancing in the appropriate opposite so as to establish a steady breathing pattern.
Time spent alone is breathing in for me. Time spent with others is breathing out.
Whenever I’m feeling drained, irritable, or frustrated—I know I probably need to step away from people and take a deep breath in.
And whenever I’m feeling excited, lonely, or some kind of depressed—I know I probably need to get out of my own head and breathe out.
Virtual doesn’t count.
Breathing is IRL only.
And if you get this balance right, your life will probably start to feel a whole lot less suffocating and sporadic a whole lot more rhythmic.