Reflection: At this time of ‘let’s be jolly’ pot-luck dinners, concerts and parties, it’s pretty easy to separate the extroverts from the introverts.

The extroverts sport big grins and boundless enthusiasm for the events of the season. A party tonight? Excellent! Another gathering tomorrow? Awesome! Three more events on the weekend? It doesn’t get any better than that!

Introverts, on the other hand, struggle to keep pace. It’s not that they’re anti-social. Introverts enjoy their friends and family just as much as their more extroverted siblings, co-workers, cousins, and partners.

It’s just that large gatherings of people are exhausting for introverts. Being out and about and socializing exacts a huge toll on the introvert’s psychic and physical energy.

Action: If there was ever a time or a season for introverts to be attending to energy, this is it.

Extroverts, exercise a little compassion for the introverts in your life. Don’t insist they attend events three nights in a row or stay at every gathering until the bitter end. Don’t be irritated if they’re content to chat in a corner with a friend or two instead of making the full networking rounds at every event.

Introverts, honor your needs and preferences. Build buffers between the events you agree to attend. Make time to get some distance from the crowds. Take a breather before or after an event to gather your energy in anticipation and catch your breath after the fact.

With a little thought and planning you can create a saner and happier approach to seasonal socials. Just remember, one size does not fit all.

Quotes Of The Week: In an extroverted society, the difference between an introvert and an extrovert is that an introvert is often unconsciously deemed guilty until proven innocent. – Chris Jami

Solitude matters, and for some people, it’s the air they breathe. – Susan Cain

Resource Of The Week: This is a great article on the differences between extroverts and introverts by Belle Beth Cooper. And, as a bonus, it offers two helpful info graphics with suggestions for caring for both the extroverts and introverts in your world.

Readers Write: In response to last week’s message, Traction As A Stress Reducer, Pause reader TZ writes:  I have found that often when we are stressed because we don’t feel like we are progressing, it’s just because we have forgotten about progress that we have made.  Years ago I started keeping a running diary of tasks completed.  For the first few years I summarized these into a monthly progress report which I forwarded to my boss and others on my team. This simple activity served to remind me of the accomplishments that I had made, reducing the weight of the unfinished tasks on my mind. Even though I don’t actually create the monthly summary anymore, I still keep my on-line work diary.  Now I should start thinking about doing it at home as well. 
Thanks for your weekly reminders to PAUSE.