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3 Ways to Recharge Your Social Battery When You’re Constantly Feeling Drained

A therapist explains why socializing leaves some people exhausted and shares three ways to protect your energy and recharge.

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I don’t know about you, but I quite possibly have the world’s smallest social battery. I’m a great time…but only for a very short time. And once the energy drains from my body, I might as well be comatose, even if I’m in the middle of a crowded dance floor.

I’ve always been this way. In childhood, I’d come home from school and immediately race up to my room, decked with string lights and cozy pillows. I’d lock my door, cuddle up in my reader’s nook, and refuse to socialize until dinner.

In adulthood, I still find myself wanting to Irish-exit every party or event by 9 p.m. The phrase “go big or go home” has never made sense to me, as I will always choose the latter option.

That being said, not everyone has such a fragile, easily depleted social battery.

“Several factors influence the size of our social batteries,” says Whitney Polich, LICSW, trauma psychotherapist. “First, everyone’s is different, shaped by personality, biology, genetics, and social context. Introverts,........

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