It’s great to have friends, roommates, or even family around, except for when you’re not in the mood. And if you, like the writer are an ambivert, socializing is a lot trickier than in any of the polarities.
It’s easier to ghost the people you don’t vibe with online than offline. But sometimes, it’s smoother to talk to familiar people via text than a call. And if you too felt that, this list’s for you.
(if you couldn’t relate to that, this is for the time you feel it)
📴 Mobile Phone OFF Emoji
Switching off your cellphone is the easiest way of telling someone that you need something breathing space, but not very politely.
To ease that rudeness, you could use 📴 to say the same.
- Um, dude. I’m having a real bad headache. I’ll see you in a bit, going offline 📴
- Can’t talk. Give me some time 📴
See? Was it so hard?
Now, imagine this scene.
- Actually. Hmm. HEH. I’m done texting for today. 📴 How about tomorrow? Same time? 5 to 5:15 PM?
📳 Vibration Mode Emoji
This one’s for the peeps you need a break from, not a break-up. The ones you can tolerate to a great extent, and the ones you don’t wish to lose so easily.
- Honey. Taking some time for myself. I’ll be available if you need me 📳
- My phone’s not going to be on loud and neither is it going to be with me 📳So, it’s not on me if I don’t answer.
🤫 Shushing Face Emoji
Have you ever wished to piss someone off so bad? Not hurtfully, but because you have an itch for it?
Or do you sometimes do it so much on purpose that it becomes some sort of a personality change when you text those people?
🤫 is for those times.
- Omg. 🤫 Going to sleep!
- Jerry. 🤫 I don’t need to hear what I already know
- What’s that? Opinions? Byeeee 🤫
⛔ No Entry Emoji
If you’ve ever wanted to tell someone to stay away and didn’t really have a polite phrase for it, ⛔ is your answer.
⛔is the perfect emoji for all the times you do not wish to be disturbed. And as a matter of fact, ⛔ is quite versatile!
Text messages, social media statuses, stories, anything could use ⛔ and mean only one thing.
Not now, not today.
😴 Sleeping Face Emoji
Compromising sleep is always a choice.
Read that again.
No one could ever force you to screw with your precious eight hours unless you want to. And what more could be the perfect DND sign if not for 😴?
- Gonna be out for a while? 😴 (now, it’s no one’s business to know, doing what, right?)
- Please. Let’s leave work for work hours 😴
😴 also has a couple of variants – 🛌 Person in Bed, 💤 Zzz, and 🥱 Yawning emoji. It’s important to note that 🥱 ought to be applied cautiously (could go really bad if wrongly used).
- Gonna get some me time 🥱 (yikes! you just called the other person boring! that’s why you gotta be cautious).
🤒 Face With Thermometer Emoji
Calling in sick is the best way to avoid socializing.
But you’re just being dishonest about things.
Not everyone’s going to get what you’re saying, Susan. It’s easier to be dishonest than to explain the truth to those who won’t get it.
It’s easy to say that you’re sick than explain why. Spare the why for the ones who care. 🤒 is for the ones who’d doubt the reason.
- Don’t think I can make it 🤒
Um. But it’s a group video call 🤨
Exactly my point. I cannot make it 🤒🤨
😶🌫 Face in Clouds Emoji
Apart from being whimsical in one’s ideas and thoughts, 😶🌫 could even suggest a sense of hiding (if not into one’s own fogged headspace, from the world at least).
So, if you’re not feeling it today, you could use 😶🌫 to convey the same.
- Yay! The weekend! What a wonderful time 😶🌫
- Oh great. Another family gathering? How exciting 😶🌫
🎮 Video Game Emoji
If you’re a gamer, this is your DND symbol.
You can have such individualized ‘Do Not Disturb’ signs for yourself. It’s alright if the “newbies” won’t get it. It’ll reach those who need it and can read it.
For instance, if you’re someone who goes for a swim to reconnect with yourself, 🏊♀️ Swimming or a 🩱 Swimsuit could be your DND symbol. And if it’s yoga or meditation, you could use the 🧘 Lotus Position.
- Not sure how long. 🎮 But I’ll deffo let you know.
- DND 🎮
🔇 Muted Speaker Emoji
Nope. No interactions, discussions, or even small talk, please is the essence of 🔇, which makes it a great DND symbol.
With symbols like 🔇 and a 🔕 Bell With Slash, it doesn’t matter if the message is thought to be ambiguous. There’s only one plausible interpretation, no humans, please.
Everyone needs a time-out. We all need undisturbed and uninterrupted time for ourselves and our priorities. Asking for that time out is not a crime, not a sin, and definitely should not be an offense.
In fact, chances are that the more you allow people the freedom to get some “me time”, the more you’re a favorite. And we hope this list puts into perspective the various symbols that could come to the rescue when you’re just not in the mood for people.