Summertime is probably the most popular time of the year. What can be better than warm sunny days filled with the subtle atmosphere of joy and carefreeness?

If you ask a dozen random people whether they like summer, you will hardly find one or two who will give a negative answer.

Yet, there are individuals who don’t enjoy themselves so much during this joyful season. Those are socially awkward introverts. Even if you are one yourself but do love summer, I bet that you too face certain challenges during this period of the year.

Here are a few summertime struggles that you will only understand if you are a socially awkward introvert:

1. It gets too ‘peopley’ outside

When the weather gets warmer, those nice quiet places you were visiting during colder seasons suddenly become crowded. In summer, it’s almost impossible to find a quiet corner outdoors where you can stay alone with your thoughts. It may seem that people are just everywhere you go: families with kids, bunches of noisy teenagers, dog owners playing with their four-legged buddies…

The higher you are on the scale of social awkwardness, the more you suffer when it’s too “peopley” outside. So a nice walk in the park is not so nice after all. You end up anxious and irritated instead of enjoying the fresh air and the beauty of summertime nature.

2. Going to the beach may feel awkward

When you go to the beach (which is an essential part of summer vacation), it gets even worse. It’s even more crowded and full of various noises coming from all directions. In such circumstances, it’s just impossible for you to chill out and enjoy the sea. Instead, you feel overwhelmed with all those people around you and annoyed with constant noise.

If you also have social anxiety, you may be suffering even more because of the fact that you have to sit almost naked among all those strangers. You may feel like everyone is staring at you each time you are walking on the beach to take a swim or buy something to eat/drink. Some people who suffer from severe social anxiety end up not going to the beach at all in order to avoid these distressing experiences.

3. Summertime social events leave you drained

Summer is traditionally a time of heightened social life as the hot air and the abundance of vitamin D make even the grumpiest of us a little more cheerful and friendly. There are so many open-air parties, festivals and other social events that anyone can find something to attend.

Even if you are an extremely introverted person who is not into this type of social gatherings, you are very likely to go to a few of those during summer. After all, you are no exception to the ubiquitous craving for adventure and new experiences, which is just everywhere in the air this time of the year.

But the truth is that when you find yourself at such a party, you easily become tired and drained and regret not staying at home. In the beginning, you probably try to cheer yourself up and praise yourself for finally going out and doing your best to become social and act “normal”.

But the outcome is always the same: large social gatherings suck your energy just too fast. So you soon start to miss your home, your cozy bed, that exciting book you left half-read or the movie you were going to watch tonight.

4. More intense feelings of not fitting in

Paradoxically, more active social life can cause the feelings of loneliness, especially when you hang out with the wrong people. And in summer, you have more chances to spend some time with people you barely know and don’t feel so connected to.

Imagine a scenario: your best friend asks you to accompany her to a party her colleagues hold. However, when you reach the place, you realize that you basically don’t know anyone. As a socially awkward introvert, you will probably freak out and start to feel uncomfortable being among all those unknown people.

You will also notice that everyone else seems to get on perfectly well with each other while you are somehow excluded from this enjoyment. Of course, in this kind of situation, you will probably start to overthink your social ineptness and blame yourself for being such an awkward misfit.

5. You don’t really relax during summer vacation

When you finally get that long-expected vacation from work, you can travel and visit some nice places. If you are lucky to travel with a fellow introvert, you will surely choose some lovely tranquil destination and have a great time.

But what if your friend or significant other is an extrovert who craves for beach activities, partying and socializing? No need to say that this type of vacation quickly drains you, and at some point, you realize that you actually have a better time and relax more by yourself at home. So you get back from your vacation even more tired than you were before.

6. You don’t get a tan as you have spent most of your summer indoors

Finally, because of all these uncomfortable experiences, you probably end up spending most of your time at home instead of going to the beach and doing other summertime activities. So at the end of the summer, you hardly get any tan, which brings further awkwardness as people ask you stupid questions like, Why are you so pale? Do you ever get outside?

I don’t know about you, but I really miss autumn. Fortunately, it’s on its way. What about you? If you are an introvert, do you enjoy yourself in summer? Can you relate to these summertime struggles? I’d love to hear your opinion.


Copyright © 2012-2024 Learning Mind. All rights reserved. For permission to reprint, contact us.

power of misfits book banner desktop

Like what you are reading? Subscribe to our newsletter to make sure you don’t miss new thought-provoking articles!

This Post Has 2 Comments

  1. Don

    First, I would like you to know I look forward every morning to Learning Mind. Not only is it enjoyable, but needed. Concerning introverts and summer, I’m not socially awkward most of the time, but summer offers best time for my favorite hobby. This helps greatly in avoiding many of the things you mention. I also enjoy autumn. Only thing I don’t like about autumn is that winter is coming. Luckily, living in the desert southwest, it’s not that bad.

    1. Anna LeMind

      thank you for your comment, Don! it’s great to know that our website is a source of inspiration for you! 🙂

Leave a Reply