Yesterday marked my 7-month anniversary as a book blogger. 🎉 A weird milestone to celebrate, but I honestly can’t imagine my life without my blog, books, and beautiful community of friends. 💖 For today’s SBPT post, Stephanie and I decided to write about how blogging has changed us. I could honestly talk for hours about how blogging changed my life for the better, but today, I wanted to focus on one area—how blogging made me more introverted…in the best way possible. 
Now, I know what you might be thinking: how is this even possible? Shouldn’t it be the other way around? Well, I think it’ll be easier to explain if we start from the beginning…
For all my life, I have identified as an extrovert. 🌟 If you’re interested in Myers-Briggs, I’m an ESTJ, formerly an ENFP. I’m definitely not the most energetic, talkative person in the room, but I am someone who thrives on social interaction—I recharge by being around other people. ✨ At school, I would always make an effort to stop by lunch tables or extracurricular club events to see friendly faces as a way to get an extra surge of energy to take on the rest of the day. When I’m by myself for too long, I get extremely bored and start to feel very lonely.
Being social definitely doesn’t equate to going out and partying every night. Truthfully, I get my little boosts of energy just by being around my friends whether it’s going on a food adventure or just sitting around on our laptops. 🤷♀️ I just had this constant desire to always be around people so that I didn’t feel alone. It was a reassurance to have someone by my side for whatever reason. Maybe it’s an only child wanting attention from others thing? 😂
That being said, I’ve seen myself exhibit more introverted tendencies in the last couple of months since I’ve started blogging. 🙈 I’ve started sitting at my own table with a laptop and chai latte instead of pulling up a chair at an already crowded group. If I’m sitting with a group of people for lunch, I’ll have my headphones on, playing an audiobook for me to listen to while I eat. Instead of going out to club events, I’ve found myself tell others that I rather stay home.
Blogging taught me to be more comfortable by myself.
I still loved my friends and being around others, but I was starting to appreciate my alone time so much more. 💞 One of my closest friends even told me, “Tiffany, you’ve really mellowed out this year. You seem so much happier and at peace,” and it was true! I was finally understanding what my introvert friends meant when they said that being too social was draining and that they recharged by being alone. 
I was enjoying the time that I had for myself, and I could focus my attention on the activities that made me happy. Book blogging was something that I could truly call my own, and I was wholeheartedly invested in making my little corner of the internet flourish. I was reading more than I had been in years, and that’s not even the best part. 😉 The best part was that I was still getting my little doses on social interaction, but it was through my blogging platforms with my blogging friends! Hello, Twitter and Goodreads!
I used to hate alone time. I always felt lonely. I felt isolated from the outside world where others were having fun, and I was a sad little potato all by myself. 😢 Starting Read By Tiffany has made me more comfortable with being by myself because honestly, blogging is a lot of work! There are books to be read, reviews to be written, and random rambles to be discussed. Sometimes, you just need to sit your butt down, isolate yourself from the world, and finish the tasks your blog requires from you.
Yes, I am still an extrovert. I still love hanging out with my friends whenever I can and being a little overly energetic when meeting new people. 💘 However, my growing introverted-ness has definitely made me more happy and confident in who I am. 
Read By Tiffany 
I’m the opposite! I’m naturally more introverted and because of blogging, I felt like I have slowly become more comfortable with myself enough to actually not be shy around people. Before, I would honestly be in a nervous wreck with just thinking about coming up and interacting with people I don’t know, because I didn’t know how to.. talk? Ever since I started book blogging though and I realised how easy it is to find topics or conversation starters around me, it’s been more easy.
I mean I could also probably chalk it up more to maturation but I’d rather credit blogging and the community 🙂 and I guess one more little thing is I’m starting to realise how I work with responsibilities. Blogging is a lot of work and seeing how my personality works with it and how to better manage my time and all that has been a blessing 😀
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That’s so cool! I think it’s amazing that blogging helped you out of your shell 🙂 In a way, I also think blogging helped with my confidence and communication skills because we’re constantly interacting with other bloggers. I really want to start reaching out to authors and publishers more which is a little scary, but I know will be very beneficial for the blog and my own communication/networking skills. 🙈
We can say that the credit is to both! Honestly, blogging has been really making me work on my organization and time management skills. It’s pretty relaxed during the summer, but when school starts, I know I will reallyyyy need to plan out things more.
Thank you so much Monica for stopping by and supporting ❤
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You’re awesome and I love interacting with everybody 😊 I would someday like to contact publishers and individual authors but I need a bit more polishing overall so I’m in no rush. Do post something though if you decide to contact some! Tips would be highly appreciated I’m sure 😁
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LOL I’m an ENTJ so we are pretty similar haha
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Ahh only one letter off! 🙈
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Happy 7 months! And what a neat post! I think it’s true that blogging takes SO much time, and requires so much upkeep, that it really can keep one occupied even though it might otherwise seem like a very lonely hobby to someone else. I mean it’s so social in its own way with commenting, visiting, and of course the social media.
Great post! Very thought provoking. 🙂
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Thanks Greg! I honestly can’t believe that I’ve managed to upkeep this blog with all the time it takes 🙈You’re so right that it’s a social activity too! I used to think it was just writing and reading, but now, I have to also schedule time for blog hopping and responding to comments 🙂 It’s not horrible because I really enjoy it, but it does take time!
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Congratulations on the 7 months of book blogging! I enjoyed reading your thoughts and can relate a lot – I also used to feel lonely at times and book blogging has greatly helped that.
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Thank you Darina! It’s definitely been more of a social activity than I orginally thought 🙂 I really enjoy interacting with everyone here ❤
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I’m an INTJ! I started Pages of Milk and Honey practically the same time as you! My 7 month blog anniversary is on August 21. I finished university in December, and that was where all my social interaction with my peers was. I knew I needed something to keep me busy and stop me from watching Netflix all day long now that I no longer have to focus on school, and where I could interact with new people.
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Ahh twinsies! Starting my blog has definitely kept me busy and away from Netflix too! 🙈I always default to watching TV shows/movies whenever I’m bored, but at least, now I’m able to read more books and practice writing. I hope we can interact more in the future Erin ❤ Happy almost anniversary!
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I ABSOLUTELY RELATE TO THIS 100%
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Haha thank you for reading and supporting ❤
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My pleasure!
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Congrats on seven months! Wishing you many more. 😉 That’s so interesting that blogging made you more introverted! I’m an INFJ, and ever since I was little, I always thrived on alone time- my mom says I would just sit in my room alone and play with dolls for hours and be perfectly happy, haha. That’s not to say I don’t like being social, of course! Anyway, I think blogging has just given me another outlet to have alone time and be an introvert, if that makes any sense.🙈
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Thank you so much Olivia ❤ I hope I can continue staying active and seeing your friendly face (except icon/account bc online)! I did the same thing with my dolls too 🙂 I would make my stuffed animals substitute as friends because I was an only child, so that was my way of having social interaction. I think it's so cool how we have similar ways of keeping fun as children but different takes on it! I can definitely understand your sentiment now of using blogging for alone time because I am absolutely loving it ❤
Thanks for all your support and being lovely like always~
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I totally relate to this too! Before book blogging, I was wired all the time and couldn’t wait to be around people. Now, I’m able to enjoy being home, hanging out on my blog and twitter/goodreads. So interesting how that’s happened!
And congrats on 7 months! Whoop, Whoop!
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I remember you had a post about blogging as an extrovert before!! I really enjoyed and related to it 🙂 Reflecting now, I can definitely see how blogging is our way of winding down and having time to ourselves! So nice to have a fellow extrovert here with me Elizabeth!!
Thanks so much for all your wonderful support~
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Happy 7th month and no, its a huge deal to celebrate. I don’t know if I mentioned it before but I created this blog 2 years ago. Only to find my way back at it again and truly continuously.
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*Oh, my gosh I was editing my comment when it pressed send, sorry*
Continuing, I found it dark then and it is nice to see you celebrating even it may be that deal to others. For that you are amazing! (But taking a stop to take care of self is too. If ever needed, we’ll always be here.) And.. YES! I felt that too. Blog making you feel more comfortable with yourself. I have learned to appreciate self time more. I am excited for you and seeing you’re loving it and growing confident with too.
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Justine ❤ One of my faves 🙂 I'm so glad you're back to blogging, and I definitely will be taking breaks when needed. I'm really glad I'm getting more comfortable with blogging because it's allowed me to meet amazing people like you! ALL THE LOVE~
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“Maybe it’s an only child wanting attention from others thing? 😂”
I mean maybe? But I’m also an only child only I thrive in my alone time, there are times where it does get to me how isolated I am. Yet that’s also down to me living in a village with no public transport and no easy access to actually meet my friends in real life. I’ve always shied away from people’s attention xD
In regards to how has book blogging changed me? I’m an INFP – being around my friends, even my friends whom I love so much and love chatting with them. Drains me A LOT. I think book blogging has taught me a lot about what it’s like for other readers over the world and it’s given me a place to call home, to belong. If anything though it’s made me more introverted whooopsie. Which is saying something, I’m a hermit as it is. Now…it’s like what does the outside world look like again? Loved this post girl! ❤
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I’m naturally quite introverted, but starting a blog has encouraged me to reach out and interact more often! It might not be the same as always going out and partying on the weekends (ugh, my poor little introvert batteries are draining just thinking of it 😂) it’s been a really pleasant learning experiences getting out there and being part of such a large, kind community of bookworms 🙂
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Going and partying on the weekends is definitely too much for my extrovert-now-more-introvert batters too! 😂It’s wonderful how no matter how extroverted/introverted you are, the book blogging community keeps us all welcomed together ❤
Thank you so much for stopping by JJ ^_^
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That’s such an interresting post !!
Also a good thing to learn how to be alone, as truthfully, only ourselves shall remain constant in one’s life — but if you ask me, you aren’t truly “alone” here !! All of us other bloggers are just a message away 😘though the communication are a bit more different, less pressureI think, as you don’t need to come with something right away. you can really think about your words and how you wanna structure the sentences.
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Thanks Kristina! You’re so true 🙂 I’ve never felt truly alone while blogging because of this community. I definitely should consider it as less pressure too.
Thank you so much for reading my post! ❤
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Happy belated 7th month anniversary! This was an interesting post to read! I am an extrovert as well, but blogging definitely lets me take time for myself as well. I agree with you, blogging takes a lot of time! I also feel that blogging and reading are calming, the alone time can be nice 🙂 Also, blogging has also given me more confidence. Ahh you used a photo of Rory in this post, have you watched the Gilmore Girls?? Because I love that show! 🙂
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Aww thank you Sissi ❤ So nice to meet a fellow extrovert here! It's really such a great way for me to have alone time to myself but still get mini doses of social interaction ^_^ and I love the Gilmore Girls!!
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Blogging made me more extroverted. Only after I started getting quite a few views, likes and cook comments did I realize that people do want to listen to me and that confidence carried on to two life. I’m still introverted that people still say I need to go out more and be more social because I’m too recluse but I know that I’m better than before. I’ve made good friends who are fine with how I am and like me for me so that’s good.
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That’s amazing! It’s great to see how blogging can change us and make us more confident ❤ I'm extremely happy for you and proud of you ^_^
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Thank you!
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I love this. I think blogging has kind of done the same thing for me, though I’ve always been pretty introverted. I always would rather just be with one good friend than be in a large group of people, and always cherished my alone time–but now with blogging (and beginning to branch out on other platforms), my alone time is filled with talking to others about books! Though the first few months of my blogging have been pretty rocky and not as consistent as I’d originally hoped to be, as I’m beginning to get the hang of everything I find myself loving this space on the internet more and more. ❤
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I think you’ve been doing an amazing job blogging!! I don’t even consider you new anymore because you’ve seem to gotten the hang of things so well ❤ I love that we've been able to open up and just really appreciate the online social interactions that we have–it's really what makes this community so special :3
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Aww thank you so much💕I think it’s going to take a while for me not to consider myself a “newbie” blogger 😂 and I agree this community is so open and kind and such a great place ☺️
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LOL yes I agree! I think it has made me more introverted too, now that I have good interactions with people online about books, I need less interaction with real life people. Plus, it’s about books, so it’s more interesting xD
I am actually a weird type. I never remember my type, but the bottom line is that I was an I type in school, then I became an E type after I graduated, and I slowly slipped back into an I type roughly at the time I started blogging (not because of blogging, it just coincided). It’s just that I’m around 50/50 and depending on my life situation, it keeps sliding back and forth. It’s kind of weird xD
Great post 🙂
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Right?! It’s so easy to talk with people online because we have this similarity. I bet all my IRL friends are wondering why I’ve been more quiet recently and on my laptop. 😉 I really appreciate your extroverted side though because it’s been so wonderful how you reach out and help new bloggers ❤
MUCH LOVE!!
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