My whole life, I have often felt like the odd one out. I never know exactly where to fit in.

I am a listener

I often just listen when people talk. I listen to their conversations and sometimes I am just utterly amazed at the amount of crap that comes out of some people's mouths! I will only take part in a discussion if I know something about the topic, as I am rather shy, and one of my biggest fears is to ridicule myself in front of others.

I work online from home, so in the last few years I have distracted myself a bit from society, but I am quite happy to stay at home and NOT interact with people. I prefer online friendships, and I do enjoy my own company.

If I do go out, I've taught myself to be rather observant and quiet rather than to say something irrelevant or say something that could turn my fear into a reality.

Is this a healthy situation?

No, I believe that this is not very healthy. It doesn't make me unhappy, but as humans we are social beings that actually need each other. Face to face communication is necessary for our survival. We need limbic resonance.

What is limbic resonance?

Limbic resonance is an exchange that takes place between two people in a social relationship. This interaction stimulates the release of Dopamine in the limbic region of the brain. Dopamine is necessary to balance our brains. Without limbic resonance, we tend to function less and our emotions and physical well-being can start to play roller-coaster. In the end isolation is not good for us. We need each other. We need interaction with people because without communication and stimulation we might get depressed and unhealthy. This makes total sense to me, but instead of going out and just frustrating myself, I try to find other ways to stimulate my Dopamine release.

Let us first look at how this works:

If you look at the above picture, you will see what each of these neurotransmitters do. We need to balance out the Dopamine and the Serotonin levels to lead a healthy life and to have an optimal mood as well as cognitive function.

These two brain chemicals play an important part in our lives. High Dopamine levels could trigger you to eat more, while high Serotonin levels could diminish your appetite.

How to improve Dopamine production naturally?

Dopamine is made from amino acid tyrosine. Foods high in natural probiotics such as yogurt, kefir, and raw sauerkraut can also increase natural dopamine production.

How to improve Serotonin production naturally?

Take in a lot of Vitamin B6. Foods like Spinach, garlic, cauliflower, celery, and fish (especially tuna) If you eat this for dinner you will also get a good night's sleep.
Get enough exercise.
Try and reduce stress in your life.
Cut out sugar!

Once you balance out these two you will surely feel happier and more relaxed about life. Then you won't care to be the red apple in between all the other green apples!