And now for our last slice of the pie from the PIES Approach – the S which stands for stimulation. This one is my favorite as it helps explain behaviors that were a mystery to me.  Research examining blood flow and electric activity in the brain of introverts and extroverts has consistently found that introverts’ brains are busier.  Maybe that’s why we are so awesome! : )  Introverts have more blood flow to our brains than extroverts, which means we have more baseline internal stimulation. As a consequence we are easily over-stimulated, like when stepping into a Costco, or being in large meetings, at big events or loud activities.  Remember that feeling we talked about yesterday where out of the blue – you are simply done!  Every bit of your energy feels drained.  This brain research on stimulation explains it.  It also explains why introverts need to close their office doors or need time alone to “tune out” external distractions so we can hear ourselves think. Since introverts need less stimulation certain work place trends like open floor plans, and instant messaging can be particularly challenging for us.  Instead we thrive when we block out chunks of uninterrupted time to focus our attention and energy.

Understanding the distinctions of our temperament allows us to develop ways to honor them.  That is the whole point of this blog so stay tuned for upcoming posts!