12 Everyday Habits that Show You’re an INFJ

INFJs spend their lives in a (semi) predictable routine. This isn’t to say that INFJs are predictable; they’re far from it. But, like any of the 16 personality types, INFJs have habits that affect their routine or how they live their lives. 

If you’re a thoughtful, introverted INFJ personality, you may recognize these everyday habits as your own. 

1. You either get up early or stay up too late

INFJs tend to be an all-or-nothing personality type, which affects their bedtime routine. If you’re an INFJ with a flexible job, you may have an interesting time setting your own schedule. INFJs love getting up early or staying up late because they like to soak in the silence and stillness. 

When no one is awake in their household, they may enjoy using this alone time as a jumping-off point for a creative project they’re working on.

2. You enjoy a productive (or lazy) morning routine

INFJs may be busy bees before 9 a.m., or they might take a long time to feel ready for the day. Depending on your energy levels, you may wake up with a fresh vigor to get things done or feel the need to rest. INFJs also prefer a bit of leeway in their schedule, so although INFJs want structure, it’s possible to have too much. It isn’t uncommon for an INFJ to struggle to balance work, home, and their rich inner world of inspiration.

Because INFJs need to recharge their batteries before feeling energetic, some INFJs with more open schedules prefer to indulge in leisure time in the morning. In the same way, an INFJ who feels burnt out may wake up earlier before work to relax or stay up well past their bedtime to unwind. Whether they relax through meditation, exercise, reading, or some other activity will vary.

3. You forget about self-care when you’re working

When INFJs are hard at work (either for their career or a hobby), they often don’t remember to take care of themselves. For example, if you’re working on a project at the office, you may become so engrossed in what you’re doing that you forget to drink water. 

INFJs also forget to take advantage of their 10-minute breaks, even when they feel like they need to step away for a quick breath. Some INFJs may forget about eating lunch when they become too focused to pull away.

4. You daydream a lot

When you perform chores, you’re usually on automatic pilot and stuck in your head. Because INFJs spend a lot of time in their inner worlds, they can be engaged in a task or two while being elsewhere in their minds. 

You may be thinking about the world's problems or analyzing a book you just read — but whatever the distraction, you complete your task just fine. If someone tries to talk to you while you’re in your head, though, you probably won’t hear what they’ve said.

5. You think about (or indulge in) creative projects

Although INFJs may not always fit them into their schedule, creative projects are always on their brains. Because of this, you spend a decent amount of time at least thinking about a creative project you’d like to undertake. 

If you do happen to pencil in time for creative pursuits, you might find that you spend too much time on them when you should be doing other things. Oops.

6. You send messages to close friends you haven’t checked up on in a while (but don’t always reply)

Although INFJs aren’t the type to have a long list of friends, they have a close inner circle they trust. They prefer spending time one-on-one or in a small, intimate group whenever they’re ready to socialize. 

But day-to-day, most INFJs aren’t seeing these close friends. Instead, INFJs try to make a habit of talking to them through a less demanding form of communication, such as texting or email. This means you check in with your close friends or family via text since you can let them know you’re thinking about them but still have the benefit of putting down your phone when you don’t want to talk. You may also disappear for days on end after talking to them.

7. You make excuses not to leave the house

It isn’t that INFJs hate going out; they just love staying in so much! In this modern age, it’s easy for INFJs to get away with staying home more than they used to. 

If you’re an INFJ, you make a point to stay home with various excuses. “I could go out to eat, but I’ll just get delivery” is a classic example. You may avoid going out to get groceries or other items you could buy online or have brought to your door because then you don’t even have to leave your couch.

8. You go outside to walk or reflect

Connecting with the beauty of nature is at the top of an INFJ’s priority list when it comes to unwinding. INFJs feel refreshed after spending alone time in nature, so making sure there’s time in the day to venture outside for a bit is important to them.

Your daily routine probably involves going outside to sit for a minute after a long day of work, walking your dog, or taking a short hike to catch the sunset.

9. You criticize your accomplishments

INFJs have a hard time accepting the same grace for themselves that they extend to others. It’s easy for them to downsize their accomplishments when they don’t feel they’ve done well enough (which is almost always).

INFJs are perfectionists, so you ding yourself on little things every day. “I should’ve done it this way” or “I didn’t try hard enough” are common phrases in your head. But those close to you can see how hard you work to do what you do, so remember to give yourself a pat on the back once in a while!

10. You hesitate to make decisions

INFJs are cautious planners thanks to their Judging preference. Because of their innate desire to plan, they avoid making decisions on a whim — even if it’s a small decision like getting a new haircut.

Your hesitation can sometimes prevent you from joining in on something fun (and outside of your comfort zone), so you may want to throw caution to the wind on occasion. However, for the most part, you’re comfortable waiting to decide whether you’ll attend an event, buy a new car, or try a new restaurant for dinner — and that’s okay! 

11. You get too distracted to keep an organized workspace

Although a few INFJs might have a spotless desk, most INFJs are far too stuck in their head and involved in their work to notice how messy it’s gotten. 

If your desk is a bit of a haphazard mess, you may notice it after you’ve finished with work for the day and try to clean it up. Or you might decide it’s futile because you’ll undo all that work the next workday. As an INFJ, you’re a Judger, meaning you like to keep things organized and clean, and you do! But INFJs also fight their inner world versus the external world, and things can get untidy fast when their inner world wins out.

12. You feel moved by a story, movie, work of art, or song

INFJs’ empathetic nature makes them prone to sensitivity when it comes to art, movies, music, and other mediums. It isn’t hard for an INFJ to feel affected by some creative work throughout the day. 

You may feel moved by a particular piece of music or the movie you watched last night. But, odds are, you have some piece of art tugging on your heartstrings at least a few times a week.

Summing it up

INFJs go about their day-to-day lives in some semblance of a routine, and some telltale habits show you’re an INFJ through and through. Of course, you may not have all these everyday habits, but if you recognize quite a few of them as your own, don’t worry — you aren’t alone. Whether you’re always looking for the next work of art that moves you or you make excuses to stay home, these relatable quirks are some of the things that make you, an INFJ, lovable and unique!