How You Handle Quarantine & Social Distancing, Based on Your Personality Type
During these difficult times things can become overwhelming and stressful, and being stuck inside doesn’t always help that situation much. Being told you have to avoid other people and even remain in a self-quarantine, can suddenly create a sense of anxiety for some people. While most would assume that introverts find this easy while extroverts will struggle with it, there are so many more factors to this which make that a bit inaccurate. Introverts definitely love their time alone, that doesn’t mean they enjoy the idea of being forced into this. Everyone has their own way of coping with quarantine, and here is how each personality type is likely to handle this tricky situation.
INFJ
INFJs are often used to being isolated, as they do need and enjoy plenty of alone time. For the INFJ it is about having time to recharge and feel more like themselves once again. The most appealing thing about quarantine is the fact that they don’t have to feel guilty or make excuses when they just need to distance themselves from social situations. This gives them a sense of peace and freedom, which can definitely be something the INFJ is happy about at first. While they can certainly find ways to keep themselves busy and distracted during their quarantine, INFJs likely aren’t just taking this time as if it is a breeze. They are worriers by nature, and are likely to be overthinking every little detail about the state of the world. INFJs care about others and what they are going through, which makes the situation rather challenging for them. They might be able to find ways to cope with social distancing by simply chatting with friends and keeping tabs on them, but that doesn’t calm their worrying minds.
ENFJ
For the ENFJ personality it is often very difficult to deal with quarantine and social distancing. They are doers, who constantly have a long list of chores and goals they need to accomplish. Being forced to remain indoors and not be able to interact with others, can be quickly draining for the ENFJ. They want to be around other people and crave a sense of connection, and too much time without this is difficult for them. ENFJs also have so many things on their minds at once, and so much they need to accomplish. A quarantine has likely forced so many of their plans to a screeching halt, and this is something which has caused the ENFJ a lot of internal stress. They are likely trying to manage all of this and find ways to reorganize themselves and adjust, but that doesn’t make it any easier for them. They feel a desire to be around others and are likely worried about the well-being of everyone they care for.
INFP
INFPs do enjoy the idea of social distancing, especially when this first begins. They cherish the opportunity to spend time alone and not feel guilty about turning down social plans. They care about their loved ones and so they often feel bad when they need time to themselves. For the INFP a quarantine means they don’t have to make excuses for needing so much time alone and for avoiding social interactions, and this is definitely something which feels good to them. While INFPs might enjoy the ability to spend time by themselves, that doesn’t make the idea of quarantine a simple one for them. INFPs worry about the state of the world and have a very strong sense of responsibility for others. When they see the way people are responding to each other, and see how they abandon their morals for the sake of self-preservation, this can really hit the INFP hard. Witnessing people behaving as their worst selves, can really take a toll on the INFP and leave them feeling emotionally exhausted.
ENFP
ENFPs can feel truly drained and overwhelmed by the idea of a quarantine for so many reasons. ENFPs are not fans of being told what they can or cannot do, and so being forced into this can be truly frustrating for them. While they might understand the reasoning behind it, there is something inside of them which doesn’t like feeling as if they cannot decide for themselves because something is out of their control. ENFPs enjoy a sense of freedom, and they also don’t like feeling trapped inside of their own homes. They are social people who truly love being able to experience the world around them in an active and exciting way. Not being able to socialize and spend time doing the things they love with their friends and loved ones, is something which can become draining for the ENFP rather quickly. They also find themselves worrying about those around them fairly often, even if they don’t express this outwardly.
INTJ
For the INTJ the idea of social distancing is often rather appealing, as they do enjoy plenty of time to themselves. They rarely find it difficult to distance themselves and might even enjoy the idea of working from home. The only issue for the INTJ is needing to have things to keep their active minds busy, and so long as they are capable of working from home they will likely be able to maintain this fairly well. They do sometimes struggle with analyzing the state of the world and wanting to understand the direction things are going in. INTJs don’t like when things are out of their control and sometimes this can cause them a bit of stress. Just the idea of being forced to stay inside their own homes can be a little bit unsettling for them. Ultimately INTJs are logical people who will search for ways to keep busy and keep themselves from going stir crazy inside of their own homes.
ENTJ
ENTJs try to approach everything from a rational and logical point of view. They don’t want to allow emotions to get the better of them, especially in a situation where tensions are rather high. ENTJs can struggle with being out of control of a situation though, and this is where quarantine and social distancing can be a challenge for them. Knowing that things are being enforced onto them and seeing that there is nothing they can do to prevent this, is likely a bit stressful for them. That doesn’t mean ENTJs are incapable of following these regulations, as they are logical people who can see the benefits and know what they should do. Being forced to distance themselves and avoid social situations, can be a bit upsetting for them as well. ENTJs are outgoing and social people, but they also have ways of interacting and will do their best to keep connected to their favorite people.
INTP
For the INTP the idea of social distancing can sound rather appealing at first. They don’t really appreciate the lack of control or being told they have to follow certain rules. INTPs have a tendency to do as they please, without really finding a good reason to bend to what others tell them to. They are logical people and will do their best to avoid anything which could be harmful, but they might want to find their own ways around this. Being that INTPs are introverts, they do enjoy a lot of time to themselves and like the space they might get from social distancing. Knowing that they aren’t going to be made to feel guilty for needing to avoid interactions, is something which does bring them a sense of joy. INTPs have rather active inner minds though, and this is something which makes it easy for them to go a bit stir crazy without outside activities and distractions to keep their minds busy from going in circles.
ENTP
Social distancing can be a real challenge for ENTPs, as they don’t like feeling as if they are disconnected from others. They are outgoing and charismatic people, who love being able to experience new things and meet new people. Not being able to go out with friends and interact whenever they please, is something which likely causes them a lot of internal stress and unease. For the ENTP the hardest part is probably being told that they MUST do something, as they like to have their own sense of freedom to come and go as they please. Being forced into a quarantine situation can be a bit unnerving for them, and is likely difficult for the ENTP to just accept. They are logical people who will do their best to find ways to cope with being stuck inside and away from other people, but it will definitely be a relief for them once they are free to go out and socialize once again.
ISTJ
ISTJs often enjoy the idea of social distancing and can spend a lot of time on their own. ISTJs don’t really crave socializing in larger groups, but they do enjoy having friends and people they can connect with. For the ISTJ there are ways to remain close to people without having to constantly go and do things with them. Just keeping in touch and communicating is something which will likely help them through the situation of quarantine. If the ISTJ lives with someone who needs a lot of attention this can get a bit draining during a quarantine, but they are often good at blocking things out and maintaining time inside of their own inner thoughts. A big struggle for the quarantined ISTJ is not being able to work or focus on those important goals.
ESTJ
ESTJs are outgoing people who enjoy being able to interact with others. Being forced inside and being unable to socialize can really take its toll on the ESTJ. They crave interaction and also crave feeling a sense of community and connection. For the ESTJ being forced into a quarantine can feel like their entire lives have been disrupted. They enjoy sticking to their schedule and have so many important things they want to get done. Not being able to continue working towards their goals and focus on all of these plans can be really stressful for the ESTJ. If they are unable to work from home then the ESTJ definitely needs to find other means of keeping themselves busy, or else they can become overwhelmed by the situation.
ISFJ
ISFJs can certainly enjoy the idea of social distancing, mostly because they don’t grant themselves this luxury most of the time. They are so focused on caring for others that they don’t really take the alone time they so desperately need. Having this time to themselves can be really energizing for the ISFJ, and gives them a chance to focus on themselves in ways they normally wouldn’t. The biggest struggle for the ISFJ during this time is worrying about the people they love. They have a knack for worrying about others, and become especially on edge when they feel like they cannot do anything to protect or help them.
ESFJ
ESFJs might enjoy having time to themselves at first, but eventually this can cause them to become a bit stir crazy. They care about their loved ones and don’t like feeling as if they cannot protect or care for them. Being distanced from the people they care about can leave them feeling disconnected and on edge. For the ESFJ the biggest struggle is often having their life changed and not being able to focus on the plans or things they normally care about. Losing a sense of control in their schedule and lives can really send the ESFJ out of their normal orbit. Social distancing isn’t necessarily as bad for the ESFJ as people might think, but they do reach a point where it becomes a bit difficult to manage.
ISTP
ISTPs often enjoy the initial idea of social distancing, as they can become easily drained by the presence of others. Being able to disconnect from the world and just spend time in their own thoughts, can be enjoyable at first. After a while, feeling forced inside of their own home can take its toll on the ISTP. They enjoy being able to experience new things and having freedom to do as they please, and this is easily taken away from them during a quarantine situation. The ISTP might try to find ways to experience nature if they can, so that they don’t feel so trapped inside of their own home without being able to really experience the world.
ESTP
Social distancing can be truly draining for the ESTP, as they crave interaction with others. They might not want to interact with everyone and can be rather picky about who they socialize with, but not being able to see those people is truly upsetting for them. ESTPs enjoy having freedom and being able to experience the world around them, and being trapped inside can be exhausting because of this. Feeling as if they cannot go out and do as they please is likely causing the ESTP to feel very stir crazy. They can benefit from playing with a pet, or finding some way to go out and be in nature for a while. As sitting inside watching Netflix is likely to drive them crazy after a while.
ISFP
ISFPs don’t mind the idea of social distancing, especially if they can still communicate with their favorite people. They enjoy having time to themselves and don’t really need to constantly go out in order to feel close to people. For the ISFP the most stressful thing is often worrying about others and the state of the world as a whole. Seeing people be cruel to one another and not finding a sense of peace because of this, can be something which puts the ISFP on edge. They don’t mind change but they don’t enjoy when people are abandoning their sense of morals for the sake of self-preservation. ISFPs care about people and so they can often worry about how their loved ones are doing during difficult times.
ESFP
ESFPs are social creatures who really crave being able to interact with others. When they are trapped inside and cannot go out and experience the world, they are likely to go about stir crazy. They do best if they have people around them, and will likely struggle if they are living alone. ESFPs need to find ways to keep themselves distracted if they are stuck inside, and can benefit from finding different games or activities which can keep them busy. Just sitting around is going to cause them to feel stressed and highly anxious, and so finding activities is really important for the naturally social ESFP.
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