Personality shift: I’m more introverted now. I notice it in my patients, too.

For almost all my life, I identified as being extroverted. “Some people may have not only become more accustomed to it—they may have realized they actually enjoy solitary time, developing an appreciation for its benefits they didn’t previously have a chance to explore,” says Nikhita Singhal, a child and adolescent psychiatry subspecialty resident at the University of Toronto. I have often heard that people become more introverted over time and have seen some hypotheses that this has to do with evolution and no longer needing to be out and about and talking to people to “find a mate.” While the evolutionary explanation feels slightly oversimplistic, there is some data showing the trend is at least generally true: There is a linear decrease over time in extroversion as a trait. When I say no to plans, I wonder if I am now “less fun,” or even “boring.” I am curious if my friends will notice that I’m spending more time alone and if they will wonder if something is wrong with me—particularly as isolation or change of behavior can be signs of depression. Both introverted and extroverted tendencies can come with upsides and challenges—that doesn’t really mean one is “better” than the other, says Lacherza-Drew.