Have a Plan for Retreat and Recovery

Introverts often find prolonged social interaction and busy events draining. If you’re an introvert, you may have noticed that after networking events you feel tired and lack energy. This may not be much of a problem if you attend a short networking event in the afternoon and spend your evening relaxing and regrouping.

But when a networking event is stretched over several days, like a conference or seminar, you risk returning home and feeling drained for the next week. But this can be avoided when you have a plan for retreat and recovery during a networking event.

Build in periods of time for rest

Before you leave for any event, you should check the schedule and see what’s on the agenda for each day. This will give you an idea of when you can plan for some rest and relaxation. For example, you may notice an empty time slot in the afternoon that you could use to decompress.

You can use your decompression time however you like. You might want to go for a massage, read a book, or watch an episode of your favorite sitcom. Doing something that makes you feel good will help you return to your networking event later with more energy and enthusiasm.

Know your limits

It can be helpful when you’re attending a conference or other networking event to know your limits. For example, attending four sessions back to back might be too much for you. Instead, you can pick the two sessions that appeal the most to you and show up only for those two. In between sessions, you can decompress or if you’re still feeling good, socialize with other attendees that aren’t at the session.

Prioritize what matters most

Before a networking event, take the time to think about what you’re hoping to accomplish by attending. If you hope to build a network of affiliates that will promote your latest offering, then you know that socializing with others is your top priority. If you hope to find a new joint venture partner, then you know to look around for someone that you click with.

You may simply want to attend a networking event to help you learn something new, like how to do video marketing or how to re-target your advertisements. If that’s the case, then you’ll want to focus on attending sessions that give you the information you need.

Keep in mind that conferences always seem to go by much faster than you think they will. That’s why it can be helpful to have a game plan in mind ahead of time. This lets you build in plenty of time to relax and enjoy your time there.

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