While socialising can be very beneficial—boosting dopamine and serotonin —it can also lead to burnout, especially when masking and meeting social expectations requires significant energy.
It can help to consider in advance how much energy an interaction might take, so you’re not using more than you have. Noticing when your energy drops, for example to around 50%, can be a useful cue that things are becoming overwhelming and that it’s time to step away and focus on self-regulation.
You may also find it yourself to prepare a ‘script’ of sorts to use when you want to communicate that you are feeling overwhelmed- this can reduce the burden of having to translate and explain your feelings. For example- “I need to take a minute” or “I’m getting tired now, I think it’s time for me to go”.