Recently I noticed that one of the most popular articles about how to get your ex back, was getting traffic for ‘how to get back together with an introvert.’
The more I thought about it, the more I realized that getting back together with an introvert IS different, just like dating an introvert has it’s own challenges.
I’m an introvert myself, and I remember how turned off I was when my extroverted ex did certain things he considered normal that seriously turned me off when he tried (and failed) to get me back.
In my private coaching, I often explain how to get your ex back. Here’s my best breakup advice about how to get back together with an introvert:
1. Take any and all communication with your introvert ex very seriously.
If your introvert ex reaches out to you for ANY REASON, treat it seriously. Do not take forever to respond and definitely do not ignore them. Do not take the fact that they’re contacting you for granted.
Introverts don’t reach out lightly, because of the energy cost for them to do so.
If you want your introvert ex back in your life, they must feel like it’s safe to communicate with you. Be kind and prompt with them, no matter how crappy the breakup was or what happened between you.
Since letting you into their life is serious to them, you need to understand what you want with them in advance before engaging them at all.
If you aren’t 100% sure you want them back, DO NOT reach out and start the process of trying to get back into their life. You can’t pop up with cute cat photos and then fade out again.
Don’t toy with their emotions at all.
They will decide you are not a source of positive reinforcement and go complete no contact, forever. Losing any opportunity to talk with your introvert ex forever is what’s at stake here.
I don’t say that to scare you, I say it because you need to know that annoying an introvert with your presence is likely going to be awful for your chances of getting back together.
2. Go slooooowwwwww.
Give an introvert more time than you would need for everything.
You would do well to allow twice the amount of time that would feel good to you. They need time to think about whether they want to do things with you, whether they want you around and whether they want to even respond to your texts.
You absolutely can’t make the mistake of pushing for more of their time, attention or feelings right away. They have to warm up to you and the idea of letting you back into their life.
The introvert will go at their own slow pace, and this can be super frustrating, especially when all you want is for them to put their arms around you and say everything is going to be all right.
Before you say ANYTHING to criticize the way your introvert ex communicates with you, consider the cost.
Don’t allow yourself to get offended by their timing and start a “you don’t text me enough” battle.
You will lose the whole relationship in the long term.
What your introvert offers you right now– especially while you’re broken up– has to be enough for you.
You simply can’t make demands on an introvert when they have mentally marked you out of their life.
You can request and ask for their time, but you can NEVER demand it.
3. Take nothing personally.
When you’re trying to get your ex back, a thick skin is already essential.
Since your introvert ex needs more alone time, it will seem like they stay colder toward you longer than if you were trying to get back together with an extrovert.
Getting their attention at all might be harder than if they were more extroverted and happier about indulging in small talk.
4. Don’t bombard your introvert ex with communication.
Make sure that when you call or text them, you give AMPLE time for them to respond to your communication.
Don’t do any more than 1 to 1 texting or calling.
Never express upset at your introvert ex for the tone or volume of their responses– either by text or how long it takes them to call you back.
If you dumped them, they might be punishing you (consciously or not) and the only remedy is to patiently take it.
If they dumped you, you have to understand that usually when an introvert is really done with you, they won’t respond much to you at all because communicating with you saps their energy.
Either way, an introvert will most likely withdraw their attention from an ex quickly and cooly.
So, when you’re trying to get an introvert back, no matter what the circumstances are, you can’t press for more than they’re ready to give you since you will overwhelm them and mess up your chances of getting them back.
4. Follow through with any and all agreements you make.
You CANNOT FLAKE ON PLANS WITH YOUR INTROVERT EX.
Don’t play the “bigger, better plans” game with them and change what you are doing mid-stream.
Don’t be shady or intentionally slow to get back to them.
Do not make “maybe” plans that seem changeable to you.
The fact that your introvert ex is agreeing to do anything with you (or even answering communication at all) right now is a big deal, so you have to treat it that way, even though you should not necessarily tell them you know that.
5. Don’t try to be your introvert exe’s “friend.”
Attempting to be “friends” with an ex who you want back is not usually a good idea. This is because you want something more and it’s fake.
Now, if being “friends” is your exe’s idea, it’s usually most helpful to agree to be friends (this gives you a clear opening to reach out) and treat them in a friendly, kind way. Kind of like you would a server at a restaurant.
It is not helpful to treat your ex like you are doing all of the normal relationship stuff together (which looks a lot like a great friendship) except without the intimacy.
With an introvert, a real friendship an even worse thing to try since they value their alone time so much.
I promise you, you don’t have it in you to be a truly good friend to your introvert ex right now.
Don’t try to wiggle into their life by promising friendship and then try to bait and switch them back into your relationship.
Since you want the whole enchilada— a romantic relationship— you have to start by knowing what you want and then trying to get that (like you are by reading this).
You can’t go half way or do half measures like offer friendship because you will kill your momentum in getting back together with them.
The happy middle ground when you want to get back together with an introvert is to gently respond and initiate contact without going into any big declaration either way.
You don’t announce you just want to be friends with your ex (you don’t, it’s a lie) and you don’t tell them you want them back. You just calmly stay in contact with your introvert ex.
6. Be stalwart with your introvert ex.
What do I mean by “stalwart”?
I mean that if you make an agreement, you must keep it. Like I said before, decide what you want in your own mind FIRST and then be patient with your introvert ex.
Getting back together with an introvert is a marathon, not a sprint.
An introvert will never forgive you if you toy with their heart and try a grand gesture, announce you want to get back together only to change your mind later on.
Introverts take the people they allow into their lives very seriously, so if you have their attention and they are responding to your attempts to communicate with them, that has to be enough for you right now.
Like all exes, it takes an introvert TIME to warm back up to you, but more time than it would an extrovert, because the extrovert generally wants and can handle more interaction with people.
On a good day, an introvert might find you a little overwhelming, but during a breakup, you have gone from being a source of joy to a potential source of pain.
Understand that now you’re broken up– if your introverted ex wants to spend time with you at all– understand it will take them more time to recharge from being around you than it normally did when you were happily coupled up.
7. Don’t poke them when they go into their cave.
An introvert will pull back from any relationship more than an extrovert so they can recharge– since they get their energy back when they’re alone.
This can be frustrating and unsettling because you really aren’t sure whether they are ever going to come around.
An introvert’s need for space requires patience all the time, but even more than usual when you’re trying to get them back.
This is especially important when you’re dating an introvert who has reached the point where they have told you explicitly that they need time to themselves.
You will not stay on their good side if you give them 24 hours of alone time and then ask if they are “okay now” and then proceed to repeatedly try and draw them into conversation.
An introvert who has gotten to the point where they are saying words about how they need space probably needs 2 or 3 times more alone time than you would likely expect.
I know that an introvert’s timing can sound drawn out and absurd to many extroverts who largely wonder, “what’s the big deal?”
The benefits of leaving your introvert alone until they WANT to talk to you are that they will be happier with your relationship (in whatever form it takes right now) and they’ll stick around longer.
Pushing them for more will drive them away and make them feel misunderstood by you.
Do NOT take your introvert exe’s need for alone time personally– either now or after you succeed in getting them back.
8. Spontaneity is a NO.
If you have really great plans in mind that you know your introvert ex would enjoy but it’s available only at the last minute, you can try and suggest it, but you cannot take it personally if they don’t want to do it.
If your introverted ex already thinks they’re spending their evening in their pajamas on the couch, wild horses won’t pull them away from this plan at the last minute.
And, showing ANY annoyance with an ex (introvert or not) you want to get back together with is a really bad idea.
You have to honor the idea that your introvert really needs at least 24 hours (or more) of planning time to mentally pencil you into their schedule.
Don’t ask them on Friday night what they’re doing this weekend. They likely have that already figured out, even if their plans don’t make sense to you (like how I would really enjoy doing a lot of things, but alone).
For example, if you want to schedule time together during an introvert’s weekend, start putting your feelers out on Tuesday or Wednesday.
To an extrovert, this amount to time might seem a little (okay, absurdly) excessive.
To an introvert, it seems kind and considerate to let them mentally plan for seeing you.
9. Do NOT suggest group activities.
Once you reach the phase of getting back together where you are starting to hang out with your introvert ex again, do not suggest group activities.
If you want to get an introvert back and rekindle your relationship, spending time together 1 on 1 is the gold standard.
Do not do the thing where you invite your ex out somewhere and suddenly you’re all hanging out with Jim and Susie because you thought it would be fun for all of you to “catch up.”
Your introvert ex will feel like you don’t respect their time because they got ready for one thing and now they have to cope with more people.
Understand that group activities are draining for your introvert partner in the best of times.
When your relationship is shaky or you’re trying to get back together with an introvert, inviting other people will feel invasive and most likely offend them.
They need to know the expectations surrounding an event in advance so they can mentally prepare.
Wait until you have both warmed up and have discussed solidifying your relationship again before you do anything as a group.
And even then, please don’t spring more people on them without asking them first. It makes your introvert feel like their company isn’t “enough” for you.
That sums up my best ideas about how to get back together with an introvert. If you want my help, I offer 1:1 coaching here.
