R&R as an ambivert

Motivo is on the road this week: at Texas Association of Marriage and Family Therapists, American Counseling Association, and NatCon22 with National Council for Mental Well-Being. It is quite a whirlwind being back in person and such a good feeling to meet Motivo teammates beyond the Zoom square. 

In light of all of this traveling, I am taking today to emphasize the importance of rest & relaxation. R&R can be defined in a myriad of ways: meditation, sleep, reading for pleasure, and spending time with loved ones or even spending time with yourself. 

At American Counseling Association’s Conference & Expo, I learned a new term from one of our supervisors (shout out to Dr. Holly Sawyer) that I really related to: ambivert. This is a mix of extrovert and introvert; where a person can hang with the extroverts and present themselves in an outgoing way yet really enjoys and needs that Rachel time.

After some research, I found this article on Parade that outlines the meaning and some characteristics of an ambivert. And it definitely adds up. As a female founder and entrepreneur, people always expect you to be an extrovert in order to get your voice heard and your idea at the forefront so I was surprised and delighted that someone saw me as an ambivert as I felt both seen and heard in a different way.

As a new ambivert, I reflected on what rest & relaxation looks like to me amidst these conferences and life in general. Rest & relaxation includes my daily runs, hanging out with my dog Lucy (she is always welcome during Rachel time), and watching Jeopardy. 

Extroverts, introverts, and ambiverts all need a time to rest and all need to define what that looks like for them. How do you practice rest & relaxation? Who else is joining me on this new journey as an ambivert? 

I would love to hear all tips and tricks to add to my repertoire!