It’s a common question: are you an introvert or an extrovert? For some people, the answer is immediately obvious – but for others, it’s a little trickier.

There is actually a word for being in between an introvert and an extrovert: ambivert.

Of course, a lot of these terms can feel quite restrictive and everyone is different, but if you relate to some of these things, you might just share the characteristics of an extrovert and an introvert…

You love a good party – zoom based or otherwise

You’ll jump at the opportunity to hang with all your friends and meet new people.

…but it can take you a while to recover

Some of your more extroverted friends will be ready for round two the day after, but not you. As much fun as you might have socialising, it can be tiring and you need to take plenty of space afterwards to recharge your batteries.

In fact, alone time is just as important to you as socialising with your friends – it’s a delicate balancing act.

Sometimes you have to shake yourself out of a certain ‘mode’

Maybe you’ve been out every night for a week in a row, or perhaps you’ve spent far too many days curled up on your sofa – it’s easy to get stuck in one particular pattern. Every so often this will happen and you’ll have to shake yourself out of it, and remind yourself why it’s important to have both social and alone time. The balancing act isn’t always easy.

You can occasionally be flaky

Unfortunately, it’s tough to know whether you’ll be leaning more towards ‘extrovert’ or ‘introvert’ on any given day, so you’ve been known to bail on plans last minute. You might have had every intention of going to that picnic when you agreed, but when the day rolls around you’re just not up for it. The reverse works as well – you might have planned a quiet weekend but then feel in a completely different mood, so will call your mates for a spontaneous get-together.

You’re also no stranger to leaving without saying goodbye – all of a sudden, you might start to flag and it’s easier in these situations to slip out unnoticed than make a big deal of it.

You easily relate to people

These two sides to you – introverted and extroverted – make it fairly easy to bond with new people. Whatever side of the spectrum they fall on, chances are you share characteristics and will quickly find common ground.

You adapt to your environment easily

By now you’re skilled at balancing out your surroundings. Maybe the situation calls for you to be the life and soul of the party, or maybe the room would benefit from a quieter presence – often, you adapt to what’s going on around you without even realising what you’re doing.