Day 01
The commitment to 'Me time'
Welcome to Day ONE of our A-Z+ of Seasonal Sanity Savers – 2024.
As the festive season arrives, somehow time seems to escape us faster and we forget to catch a breath. The clock keeps ticking, the deadlines keep getting closer and there’s so much to do.
For we introverts, it can be pleasurable to be with friends and family who understand our needs, or we find ourselves ticking the days off and suddenly it is all over.
This year around, let’s make a commitment to ourselves: that, we will put aside a block of time every single day, maybe at the same time so we can as I said, ‘catch a breath’. Let us make it a calming routine that helps us recharge so we can continue to flourish despite all the rush and noise around us.
Afterall, we know how easy it is to forget things, well often ourselves and our needs when we get busy.
So, we’ll be doing the countdown right through to the New Year. That’s when we expect some semblance of normality to return and brings us to the brink of World Introvert Day on Jan 2nd.
As usual, I’ll be hosting a LIVE Webinar to celebrate calmly and gently as that’s the way I intend 2025 to go for me.
Our Seasonal Sanity Savers are so important as they are daily reminders to look after ourselves and our needs. I’m super excited as again this year I’m featuring the photos of many of our talented introverts.
Tomorrow, we start at the very beginning with ‘A’, (a very good place to start!) so what do you know or do that starts with an ‘A’ that helps you hang on to your sanity?
Share your suggestions in the comments and who knows there might be a hidden treasure or few along the way?
Quietly and calmly yours,
-Joanna
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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.
I have watched from afar as she got married to the man who sent her flowers whilst we were there, and as she gave birth to her two beautiful boys who are growing into fine young men.
The upcoming episode of 
