I'm an introvert. I find that my social energy is too low.
Being in a group is more exhausting than a one-on-one conversation because in the latter I carry half the load and can steer the conversation and engage in dialog the whole time, whereas in the former I don’t have full control and often can’t connect with the group’s interests and topics, no matter how close they are to me.
Sometimes I just don’t have that spark, and my social energy dies out like a flame, leaving me there doing nothing. I’m becoming very passive in groups. It’s a bit easier to blend in, but they call me out on it, and sensing the reason—part of my way of being—they accept it, tho it can add a touch of annoyance, on top of my rambling chatter. It doesn’t have to be a whole day; more than three hours is already burning me out, and after a full day I’m exhausted. On days of intense contact, there’s no moment of solitude; it’s becoming deadly, but I can’t ignore them either.
What can I do?