The Importance of Alone Time - from The Introvert Teacher

The currency of all activities is energy. Without this all-important resource, we cannot possibly do anything.

Where do introverts get their energy? From within themselves.

How do they generate this energy? By having Alone Time.

Without Alone Time, any introvert becomes prone to burnout – a very real threat for teachers.

We are required to spend large amounts of time deeply involved with other people, and their needs and emotions affect us deeply. If we do not take proper breaks, the emotional drain and stress from our work can lead to burnout.

Symptoms of burnout:

1. A diminished desire to care for or about others.

2. Irritability.

3. A feeling of being unappreciated or misunderstood.

4. A feeling that work is overwhelming.

5. A feeling of being drained of energy.

6. Thoughts related to changing jobs or professions.

If you need to take a break to recharge yourself, do so.

Burnout afflicts introverts particularly badly because we need more time to ourselves and are unable to recharge ourselves if we cannot find it.

If you need to take a break to recharge yourself, do so.

Remember that you can only take care of others when your own needs are met. For example, during a flight emergency, you are supposed to place the oxygen mask over your own mouth before doing so for anyone else.

Life should not be any different.

You will find that you will be able to complete your tasks much more efficiently and effectively after a good break than if you just try to steamroll ahead without sufficient rest.

While you are resting, reconnect with your thoughts. Ask yourself why you chose to work in this profession in the first place. You may remember the first months when you started and how exhilarated you felt.

What has changed since then? Is there a way to regain that earlier excitement? Perhaps a project or goal will help you recover the sense of accomplishment that you have been missing.

Think of the lives you have impacted in the time that you have been working. Think of the positive things you have received: Kind words, thank-you notes and all the little things that make your work worthwhile.

If, however, you feel that you need a new direction or profession, then the break may be a good time to think about where you wish to head.

Understanding Introversion in the Modern World - extract from The Introvert Teacher

The world today is an extrovert’s paradise, with plenty to do and get caught up in. Without getting too far into history, much of this has to do with Western society’s obsession with big dreams and larger-than-life personalities.

As the world becomes more westernised, these values inevitably become part of popular culture. Today, we are so inundated by them that our behaviour and mindsets have started to align with them.

Leaders in today’s world are often appointed based on how well they speak, how quickly they make decisions and how well they can build rapport with people. Products gain popularity through widespread advertisements, attractive packaging and catchy slogans.

Even services have to be made to appeal to the mass market through careful targeting, meticulous data analysis

and extensive conceptualisation before they can be introduced for sale.

Is any of this wrong in and of itself?

Certainly not!

It is merely how the modern world works.

For good or evil, it will continue to change, and what we can do is to be updated and adapt to it.

Since that is the case, let us, as introverts, recognise this, accept it and roll with it, not with a feeling of disenchantment or disappointment, but with a spirit of graciousness and a sense of adventure. After all, we have some really good things going for us as introverts.

Playing With Instagram Carousels and Seeing What I Can Learn From Them

Not too long ago, I was introduced to Instagram Carousels.

Though I professed in an earlier post that I was tired of social media and had essentially stopped uploading content for the sake of doing so, I thought that making some Carousels might help me to hone my design skills and teach me something.

I didn’t go into it with the hope of gaining a tonne of followers or garnering avalanches of likes and comments, as I already knew that social media only rewards those who slavishly post and spend an inordinate amount of time on it.

No, I decided to do it for my own benefit.

And I believe that I have already learned a few design tricks that I wouldn’t have otherwise.

The initial template took some time to carve out, but once it was in place, it wasn’t hard to put in content in the same format. This was part of the first carousel I made.

---

And this is part of the second one that I made, based on the same template for the first.

---

And, of course, I’ve made a few more since then.

Now that I’ve figured out a template for this, I might go on to make templates for other things that I’m thinking of dabbling in - infographics, e-flyers, and so on.

Actually, I’ve produced a couple of e-brochures earlier, to help market my newly-written courses for the school market. They were what partly inspired me to see if I could bring what I learned about designing them into a carousel.

I intend to continue producing e-brochures - this time for corporate courses and public workshops.

Let’s see where it goes!

I Spent Two Months Plus Doing These Things During Singapore's Circuit Breaker

Now that Singapore’s Circuit Breaker has entered Phase 2, with limited openings of certain establishments, I suppose we could say that we are starting to get back to some sense of ‘normal’.

Perhaps this is a time to take stock of what I’ve done over the past 2 months or so.

The main achievement?

I produced 4 sets of curriculum/content.

Namely,

1) Forensic Investigative Skills

The original purpose for this one is for the school market, of course. This will be put to use in July, as long as schools remain open.

That said, I think that it will be both useful and fun for adults as well. The skills, after all, are used in our everyday lives - information gathering, observation, problem solving, and so on.

I’ll have to see who I can talk to to get this started.

2) Health Science

Again, this was made for the school market, but can be useful for those who have aged parents and/or children to take care of.

3) Harnessing Your Quiet Strengths

Now, this one has a little story behind it. It was originally developed for Introverts Network Asia (INA), but things have tapered off for this, so I never finished it, leaving it half done.

I decided to just finish it up. At least I now have a set of curriculum ready to go should I need it, either live or, perhaps, as an online course.

It is, as expected, aimed at introverts and helping them to make use of the strengths that they perhaps regard as insignificant, but are actually highly valuable.

I see this as an accompaniment to The Introvert Teacher, and intend to have them linked together.

4) 4D Your Message

This is my take on communication skills, slightly angled towards newer educators/trainers, but can definitely be used by anyone who wants to get their message out.

This, too, has a story behind it. It was originally conceived for online delivery as part of an initiative by an organisation. But, as with the previous set of content, this, too, fizzled out.

I decided to just have it finished up.

My main thought at the moment is figuring out how to bring these things to more people once Circuit Breaker properly ends.

I've considered online training, but the activities, especially for the first two, are best done live. I could potentially redesign them, but it’s A LOT of work.

Alternatively, I could have them converted to videos and sell an online course. I’m not sure yet.

---

I’m also finishing up a project I started 2 years or so ago - my book on gem buying, titled A Gem of a Deal.

The good news is:

A Gem of a Deal is NEARLY finished! Yay!

Here’s a cover I designed for it. It may not be the final version, but I’ll use it for now.

I’ll put more information up on Loupin Jewels.

Yes, I designed it myself. Photoshop and Illustrator. ;)

---

Photographing gems!

It’s quite a long story behind this, but I’ve started to photograph gems again. This time, the results look pretty good, even if I do say so myself.

Sapphire Crystal

Garnet Crystal

Prehnite Cabochon

Emerald Piece

And, of course, I’ve been collating some of my old photos.

It’s been a fairly productive couple of months, I’d say.

Here’s to an even more productive 2 months ahead!