When introverts and highly sensitive people can retreat to a calm, quiet space, it’s nothing short of magic.
I quickly silence my alarm so it won’t wake my husband. It’s not his fault I get up so much earlier. Well, I don’t technically have to, but in a way, I absolutely need to.
I don’t have to justify the ungodly hour. But I crave the silence and stillness the early morning brings. I need to enjoy my coffee and breakfast alone, in quiet. I need to sit in my oversized armchair, wrapped in the perfect blanket, journal in hand, watching as the day’s first light slowly fills the sky beyond my window.
Those early hours provide a space that’s impossible to recreate at any other time. I need as much of it as I can get — however much my family will allow, and whatever extra sleep I’m willing to sacrifice.
It has become a space that is all mine.
Carving out that time in my morning transforms the rest of my day. Sure, my meditation and journaling routine is a key part of it, but just as important is the peaceful environment: minimal distractions, grounding elements, and gentle comforts.
I’ve always known I had different environmental preferences. Before I understood myself fully, I just knew I liked quiet and disliked noise. I preferred solitude and avoided crowds.
But the reasons behind these preferences have become guideposts as I’ve learned more about myself and my introversion. Research shows that our environment influences our well-being, for better or worse, and that introverts tend to be more affected by environmental factors — like noise, lights, and, of course, social elements — than extroverts. (Introverts who are also highly sensitive people may feel the impact of their surroundings even more deeply.)
As I’ve learned about my energy sources and drains, and how my environment affects my nervous system, I’ve started to recognize how different spaces either work for me or against me. These days, I’m learning to prioritize environments that inspire me rather than discourage me.
When the environment is just right, it’s nothing short of magic.
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How Subpar Environments Drain Introverts
My first job after college was in an open-office call center. For someone like me — sensitive, introverted, and with a millennial phone phobia — it was a recipe for intense environmental overwhelm.
Draining doesn’t even begin to cover it. That environment was nothing short of an assault on my needs as an introvert.
First of all, there were people everywhere. Chatty coworkers in every direction — facing me, or I, them — all day, every day. There was no escape. Like many introverts, I’m drained simply by being around others, likely due to my sensitivity and my involuntary tendency to absorb their energy. I deeply process every conversation and expression, right down to the exhausted sighs of my coworkers after a frustrating call. The constant feeling of being on display, especially as someone with performance anxiety, was debilitating.
The phones themselves were a detriment to my environment. Never mind that I absolutely hate talking on the phone and honestly had no business working in a call center. It was like that scene in Elf where Buddy (Will Ferrell) is tasked with testing the Jack-in-the-Box toys, getting startled every time they popped up. That’s how it felt every time the phone rang.
Being bound to my desk felt suffocating, too. In a small, open call center, you’re relied on to be constantly available for calls. You can’t get up from your desk without everyone noticing. The lack of autonomy and flexibility hung over me like an oppressive cloud.
And of course, the constant talking — to customers and coworkers — during every minute of my 40-hour workweek was unbearable. I couldn’t help but be heavily invested in both customer satisfaction and my interactions with coworkers.
I imagine if any of my call center coworkers read this, they’d have no idea I was describing the same office they worked in. To be fair, it was a casual, friendly, enjoyable environment for most people. But it just wasn’t right for me.
When you describe an environment with words like debilitating, exhausting, overwhelming, and oppressive, it’s clear it’s not contributing positively to your well-being. In that open office, I couldn’t focus. I was constantly overwhelmed. The environment alone was enough to leave me stressed and exhausted, even before the work began!
When an environment doesn’t align with your best self, it’s worth taking a hard look at what you can change.
The Magic of Environments That Speak to Introverts
The magic of my morning routine lies in every element of the environment. I get to make it my own and prioritize the factors that make it just right for me.
It can start with asking yourself big questions, like: What would fill me with peace? What would inspire me? It helps to look for answers in your physical surroundings. Organization, natural light, a thriving houseplant, and ambient music fill me with peace. A painting, a photo from my travels, or simply a window can spark inspiration. So, what about you?
At home, there’s magic in pursuing comfort and indulging in small improvements to maximize it. Whether you have an entire house or just a corner of a room, create an “introvert zen zone” or sanctuary and make it yours. If you live with others, having conversations about this is well worth it.
Maximum comfort in my curated environment enables maximum tolerance for discomfort in environments I can’t control. The space I create fills my tank for those other settings.
But I don’t need total control over my surroundings to find the magic.
One example is nature. For me, nothing is more magical than sitting by flowing water. The sound of water rushing over rocks and the feel of it flowing across my toes is always therapeutic.
Outside, I’m rarely (if ever) perfectly comfortable. But that doesn’t matter. Comfort isn’t the magical part — it’s how being in nature grounds me and calms my anxious thoughts. The connection to nature is what makes outdoor environments magical.
The same can be said for the right social environments — the magic is in the connection. An introvert can have a more magical experience at a loud concert if they’re connected to the music and the energy of the crowd than at a quiet dinner party. It’s the connection to the environment and the people in it that creates the transcendent experience introverts crave.
And sometimes, environments can surprise us. The party we didn’t want to attend turns out to be a blast. The intimate dinner out ends up being a bust. We should stay open to all sorts of environments because transcendent experiences are possible whether we have total control over the specifics — or very little. It’s a matter of cultivation, choice, and a little bit of magic.
Cultivating a Magical Environment, Wherever We Are
The more we can shape our environment to match our needs, the more it can nourish and energize us.
Of course, there are limits to how much we can create the perfect environment all the time. There are environmental pollutants that affect people’s health on a massive scale. There are noise and light pollutants that can wear on us, especially as people who need less stimulating spaces. And there are social pollutants that can drain our energy faster than we can recover — until we retreat to the refuge of our calming, cultivated environments.
Still, there are ways to infuse a little magic into our environments, wherever we are.
Introverts have always had an innate, inner GPS for finding quiet nooks and crannies in an otherwise noisy, chaotic world. We can, and should, always be on the lookout for those little pockets of peace. They are magic for introverts.
For example, my car is my refuge when I’m out and about. I’m cultivating the habit of spending a few extra seconds sitting in it before (and after) an errand or event. Just a breath or two in its bubble makes a huge difference.
Cultivating environments that help us thrive requires us introverts to value our self-worth. We must believe we are worthy of a magical and inspiring environment, even if our preferences go against the mainstream. We must commit to pursuing it, even if it means making hard choices, like changing jobs or setting an earlier alarm.
Tomorrow, I’ll silence my alarm again, dragging myself out of bed. Yes, I’ll wish I could get more sleep. But I won’t miss the chance to soak up all that the early morning has to offer. I need its stillness to speak to me, inspire me, and nourish me. We introverts need our environments to work their magic — so we can work ours. 
