Day 02
The importance of Acknowledgement, to self!
Welcome to Day TWO of our A-Z+ of Seasonal Sanity Savers – 2024.
Today’s letter is ‘A’ – and I am adding ‘Acknowledgement’ to your Sanity Saver Kit.
It is but a reality for we introverts that the festive season can feel like a rollercoaster of social events, especially because people expect us to show up in settings that are not quite introvert inclusive.
In this case, ‘Acknowledgement’ of our needs and capacity is our tool that saves our sanity. Our social-battery relies on us being energised. So when considering which events to accept, recognise your needs, and operate from a space of clear understanding of your capacity.
Let us take a moment to review the invitations. Does it align with our priorities, or will it drain our social battery rapidly, with a risk of going flat when we introverts need it the most?
The first person we need to be transparent with is ourselves.
Being absolutely honest with ourself – what works for us, what is too much? We need to use this self-transparency as the compass to acknowledging our needs and capacity, to politely decline, or even confidently assert that our presence will be for a limited time.
If we need to stay in, we stay in. Let’s not commit when we do not have the capacity to show up as our authentic self. Instead, we have a quiet night in, or choose a smaller, quieter gathering to be part of. Prioritise what fills our cup and acknowledge to ourself that we do not need to show up everywhere, for everyone, at every event.
Now that I acknowledge to myself that I am an Open Introvert, I do this for myself and I invite you to join me.
“Aspire not to have more but to be more.” – Archbishop Romero
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Tomorrow’s letter is B. Any guesses what will it be about?
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Did you miss out on December 1 post of Sanity Savers? Worry not, check it out here!
Cage Rattler & Bias Shifter – Helping organisations unlock potential by shifting extraversion bias | Coaching quiet leaders | TEDx Speaker | Trainer | Founder, CEO – Flourishing Introverts | Host – The Flourishing Introvert Talks and (dropping) Pebbles in the Pond | Author – The Flourishing Nudge | Co-Flourisher, Co-Founder – Intent to Flourish
She says, “
This became really relevant for me this week as a good friend was clearly struggling, but reluctant to ask for help as they didn’t want to trouble anyone else.
Now why might I not be flattered? Well, as a change agent, facilitator and coach, I want people to feel confident enough to apply the learning, and if they feel they need me in their back pocket or on speed dial, my job is not yet complete.
It took me a few years to educate my nearest about how draining I found the whole ‘festive season’. I’d developed a number of ways to keep myself from feeling overwhelmed one day ate a time and they turned into my popular Seasonal Sanity Savers. I mean, why keep something to yourself, when they can help other people.
One thing I have noticed is that if I feel a little fear or anxiety about an invitation, it’d be all too easy to immediately decline and use my need for replenishment as a reason (or excuse).
I thought I was being sensible, but there were several factors that I hadn’t accounted for. Lots of road closures and my driver – Alan.
Impending insanity because we’re now firmly into the so called ‘festive season’ but that’s not how it feels to many of us.
Because the stress and pressure of social, workplace and family expectations lasts for the whole month, so it makes sense to have support for the whole month.
If you’ve been in my world for more than a moment, you’ll know that I’m a big fan of noticing, so the whole experiment started well for me. Dr David encouraged us to notice simple examples of kindness, like when someone lets you stitch in the queue of traffic or holds the lift door for you.
Don’t get me wrong, I wasn’t asking for or looking for validation, but when an eminent strategist, author and successful business person says that, I have to admit to feeling more than a tingle of excitement.
Clinton Jordan 
The reality is that the longer we leave things the more difficult they become. If we’re leaving them hoping they will improve on their own, more often than not we’ll be disappointed.
How will we even be able to value diversity if we’re intolerant of difference? Before you get all huffy with me and insist I don’t understand, but do any of us really?
What’s fascinating to me is that I can see very clearly when others are in the grip of these drivers, but it’s so much harder to hold the mirror up to myself. But here’s what I’ve realised, as I notice it in others, it’s the nudge I need to take a quick look at my own behaviour.
We often mention that a failure to listen is the biggest problem in communication, but I think for we introverts, it’s more likely to be a failure to signal our intent.
When that happens, I hold my emotions back, hold them in and hold myself together. These are some of the bioenergetic holding patterns that I personally guide my Frustrated to Flourishing travelling companions through during our journey.
They said that although they were a little unsettled at walking into the room and seeing someone other than me, the trainers were very helpful and the training was great.
True presence isn’t about volume ; it’s about value. 
If you know you are ready to start flourishing, or are looking for ways to be more intentional about how you’re already flourishing, we have something coming that you’ll love.
