Tag: board games

10 Ideas for Introvert Friendly Socialization

10 Ideas for Introvert Friendly Socialization

Marissa

Introverts need people. This isn’t something you’ll hear about very often, though. Most of the time, you’ll either hear people who are critical of introverts complaining about how unsociable we are or you’ll hear introverts talking about how much we dislike being around other people.

Humans are social creatures, however. We have different preferences for how much and in what ways we socialize, but we all need other people. Being an introvert doesn’t mean you hate people. It just means that you’re born with a trait that makes you prefer the internal world. It means you re-charge better in quiet, low-stimulation environments, not that you do well in social isolation.

It’s no exaggeration to say that isolation can be deadly. Living in loneliness has a serious impact on our health. In fact, “The increased mortality risk is comparable to that from smoking. And loneliness is about twice as dangerous as obesity. Social isolation impairs immune function and boosts inflammation, which can lead to arthritis, type II diabetes, and heart disease” (“Loneliness Is Deadly” by Jessica Olien). And that’s just the physical health risks. Loneliness also damages our mental and emotional health, often leading to issues like increased stress, depression, and alcoholism (“The Dangers of Loneliness by Hara Estroff Marano).

So what’s an introvert to do? If you don’t like typical social events or groups, how do you avoid the mental and physical health risks of loneliness while also honoring your introverted nature?

This list includes tips for introvert-friendly ways to socialize with other people. Some of these assume you’re trying to meet new people, while others are great for doing with people you already know.

10 Ideas for Introvert Friendly Socialization | LikeAnAnchor.com
Photo credit: Dimitris Vetsikas via Pixabay

1) Attend An Interesting Event

It’s not all that difficult to find out about events going on in your local area. Check city websites, Google “local events,” or browse through events on Facebook. There’s bound to be something in the area that interests you and there are often options for small gatherings (like a morning yoga meet-up) as well as larger ones. If you’re at an event that interests you, you have a good chance of meeting people with similar interests and perhaps even finding a local group to join. Read more →

What Are Your Favorite Board or Party Games?

Marissa

"What Are Your Favorite Board or Party Games?" marissabaker.wordpress.comThere’s a stack of games in my closet that rarely get dusted off and used. It’s a shame, because every time we actually play them I’m reminded how much fun they can be. We had guests over Saturday evening, and played Pictionary until 11:30 at night. My brother and I think so much alike that it’s scary — we teamed up and were moving around that game board at super speed. I don’t usually like team games, but Pictionary is one I’ll make an exception for.

Here a few of the other games I like. What are your favorite party and/or board games?

Apples To Apples

This game gets played more often than most in my closet. Every year before Thanksgiving at least one family member will call and remind us that we are not allowed to show up for the family gathering unless we bring Apples To Apples. A large number of people in a wide variety of ages can play, and at family gatherings we even rival the euchre table for enthusiasm and laughter.

Clue

Why my cousin was here over New Year’s, we played Clue while waiting to watch Series 3 Episode 1 of Sherlock.
Known as Cluedo in the UK (which I did not know until I Googled the history of the game), it is a murder-mystery game now available in a Sherlock version. Since we only had an old Clue game from the ’80s tgat I picked up at a resale shop, we made do by re-naming all the characters with Sherlock names (Plum=Sherlock, Scarlet=Irene Adler, etc.).

Lord of the Rings Monopoly

Monopoly in general is a pretty good game, but Lord of the Rings Monopoly is better. There’s fortresses, and Shelob’s lair, and you can buy Bag End and Mount Doom. The little game pieces are so cute. Also, with a version that moves the Ring around the board toward Mount Doom every time someone rolls a 1, the game can have a time limit.

Herd Your Horses

I’m going to guess you’ve probably never heard of this game. Herd Your Horses is a game my mother came across in a homeschooling catalog years ago. There are three game variations. It is easy enough for young children to play but, as we proved before the Pictionary battle on Saturday night, still engaging for older teens and young adults.

Star Trek Trivia

Unfortunately, it’s hard to find people to play Star Trek Trivia with. The version I have covers The Original Series, The Next Generation, Deep Space 9, and Voyager. It’s perfect for me and my sister since we’ve watched all of those and haven’t seen Enterprise. When we can find people with the same Star Trek watching background, though, it’s fun to play.