Holiday Blues with Tumblr

The mornings are getting darker. The evenings are, too. It’s a little chillier, don't you think? Well, if you start feeling a little blue around the holidays, we might have something for you. We call it Holiday Blues, and it’s back for 2023. 

You probably know the score by now. If you don’t, here’s a little intro to make your acquaintance. We are partnering with social good brands, mental health experts, and mindfulness aficionados to bring you the essential winter toolkit—and help you thrive during the darker months. Enough is happening right now to feel overwhelmed without these LONG, drawn-out days. If you suffer from S.A.D. (AKA seasonal depression) or struggle to offer yourself the right self-care, Tumblr and friends are bringing these small acts of nourishment straight to you. It takes very little time, very little energy, and doesn’t cost a thing.

How does it work? Easy-peasy. If you turn up, we will look after you. Over the coming weeks, we have classes tailor-made for TLC: space meditations, movement, music, and self-care.

What’s happening?

Mindful Mondays: Out-of-this-world mindfulness session for a calming start to your week with @nasa.

Wellness Wednesdays: Mood-boosting quizzes from @kokobot, playlists, and tips.

Flex Friday: A five-part series on tenderness with Indwell Collaborative.

Self-Care Sunday: Reflections on affirmations, trust, friendship, and a focus on mental wellness with @therapyforblackgirls. 

Some tips: 

SHOW UP! And we’ll take it from there.

No stress necessary. Leave your worries at the door

Make time for YOU! There’s always time for some self-love.

It’s YOUR healing journey, and you do it your way.

One final note:

Like, share, be there. It’s all good vibes, and it’s for everyone on Tumblr. Help us beat the holiday blues by using #holidayblueswithtumblr, and share Monday’s meditations, a tip or trick from Wellness Wednesday, the feel-good from Flex Friday, or some soothing soul nourishment from Self-Care Sunday. 

#holidayblueswithtumblr

I want to put this out there in hopes that I’m not alone… (real life rant ahead)

I would like to think that I’m a very responsible person when it comes to money. I pay all my bills on time. And I mostly save up any money leftover, spending a little here and there on things I either want (such as takeout food, chocolates, sushi) or need (for example, over the counter and prescription meds, clothes, shoes.)

I don't gamble, smoke or drink. Both for moral reasons and the very practical one that it's too expensive.

And yet...

Despite working every day I can, sometimes through chronic pain, scrimping, saving, cutting coupons every which way I can...

Something dawned on me yesterday. And it's still lingering today.

I more than likely won't be able to buy any Christmas gifts this year, not for the family who lives with me (to which I am the sole breadwinner) or to my extended family (whom we are on good terms with and I usually get presents to show my appreciation for them and all the favors they've done for us throughout the years.)

This will be the first year this has happened. That even a "little something for everyone" might be out of reach.

Me and my immediate family experienced a lot of hardships this year (and on top of that our rent is going up by quite a large amount come January) but that still doesn't feel like a good reason to just flat out buy nothing for anyone.

I also don't have enough knowledge of arts and crafts (and probably not the supplies) to "just make something" either.

(Although one of my friends has suggested making up a pretty box of sugar cookies and that's definitely doable in terms of my budget and ability.)

Is anyone else going through the same thing? If so, how are you coping with it?

Any advice, or even just kind words are welcome.

I'm already feeling the holiday blues, and it's not even December.

So I'm just going to say it right out loud: I do not like the winter holiday season. The relentless music, the even more relentless marketing, the demands that everyone be part of a happy smiling family...

It doesn't honor the truth of people who are estranged from their family, or who are alone, or whose friends are scattered across the country or the globe. Those who can't afford "giftmas". Those who don't celebrate. Those who are tired and depressed and scared and sad.

I don't begrudge anyone their happiness during this season; if you have reasons to be happy, then be happy. But for those who don't, or those who aren't...

You're not alone. And you're not wrong. Please do what you need to do to get yourself through the season.

IT'S CHRISTMAS 🥰🎄🎁🎅🤶✝️

Merry Christmas to those who celebrate, and happy holidays to those who have their own festivities to partake in!

And if you don't have any holiday traditions/celebrations to partake in - or perhaps you're like me and struggling with some very intense holiday blues that make it difficult to enjoy the season - I wish you peace, health, and joy during this time of year!

december is so much harder than we like to admit

our moods are as gray as the skies above us counting down the days until we feel something — anything — other than bitter and blue yet, we act as though these early nights don’t bring us down until we’re in bed at six pm or our smiles really are as bright as the christmas lights in our neighborhoods we pretend that everything is as wonderful as the time of the year when in reality, sometimes, it’s anything but sometimes, we aren’t cheerful we aren’t up for celebrating we aren’t enjoying the days as much as we’re enduring them and that’s okay after all, december is so much harder than we like to admit

(cc, 2022)

We're approaching that time of year again. It's okay if you don't like anything about the holiday season. It's okay if you're not able to enjoy yourself because this time of year brings back old memories, hurts, or traumas. And it's okay if all you do each and every holiday season is wish that it was all over. If you need support during these next few months, always feel free to reach out.

Hey Friends...

For many of us, tomorrow kicks off some of the toughest times of the year. And that's assuming that your year hasn't already been tough. For anyone who is struggling, doesn't have family, or can't/won't be with their loved ones tomorrow...

It's okay. Something my therapist in after-care recently stressed to us all that tomorrow, otherwise known as Thanksgiving, is just one day. That's it. It's one day. Now, that doesn't mean it might not be hard. It doesn't negate the fact that it could be tough. Or sad. Or painful.

But it's one day.

And you can get through it.

I'm not an expert. But I've shed some tears this week. I've done way more talking this holiday than ever before in an effort to stay my course.

I'm not an expert. But you all have been kind enough to let me share and lean on you time and time again.

So, I just wanted to say that I'm here for you too. If anyone needs or wants to talk, please feel free to reach out. I'll just be cooking with a friend tomorrow at my sober house. My phone will be with me all day. We can chat, share memes, story ideas, whatever. Hell, if you feel like you can't call anyone and you need to hear another human's voice to keep you from screaming into the void...I'll share my number and you can call me too.

You all make me feel loved. And I love you. Remember that tomorrow is just a day. Let's do what we can to enjoy it. We all deserve some happiness. And with that...

Happy Thanksgiving!

Love, Britt

Hello there 👋

Welcome back to Mindful Mondays! 🧘

Mondays are, famously, most people’s seventh favorite day of the week. And Mondays where everything is darker, longer, and colder than normal? Thanks, but no thanks.

But don’t panic; we’ve got something to help. It might be small, but it can make a big difference. Just ten minutes of mindfulness can go a long way, and taking some time out to sit down, slow down, and breathe can help center your thoughts and balance your mood. Sometimes, the best things in life really are free.

This year, we have teamed up with the good folks at @nasa. They want you to tune in and space out to relaxing music and ultra-high-definition visuals of the cosmos—from the surface of Mars.  

Sounds good, right? Well, it gets better. Watch more Space Out episodes on NASA+, a new no-cost, ad-free streaming service.

Why not give it a try? Just a few minutes this Monday morning can make all the difference, and we are bringing mindfulness straight to you. 

🧘WATCH: Space Out with NASA: Martian Landscapes, 11/27 at 1pm EST🧘

Monday, November 27.

Holiday Blues 2023.

It's not just November, nay, it's nearly December. The mornings are getting darker. The evenings are, too, and it's only getting chillier. The holidays approach, as the holidays are wont to do. And we know that this is not good news for everybody. In fact, the seasonal affective disorder (S.A.D.) struggle is real, and if you're finding these first days of winter difficult, you're not alone. Far from it, in fact.

Well, fancy that. If you suffer from holiday blues, we've got one or two things that might be of help to you. It's Holiday Blues, from @postitforward, and it's back for 2023.

Mental Health musings

Since getting my bi-polar 2 diagnosis, I have been trying to learn more about myself in order to prevent the extremity of the manic ups and depressive downs. Sometimes, though, there's just nothing in the world that can save me. My body and disorder are going to team up with circumstances and poverty and even the GOOD things, like my awesome-ly completed, highly anticipated presentation. All those things will get together and just go, "LET'S FUCK WITH HER, SHALL WE?"

I was elated yesterday. I was in a creative mania for about four days prior. It was aaaaaaall going good. My period snuck up on me but I foolishly thought to myself, "Look! I'm on my period and it's not even a thing! Look at me being normal!"

Then I finished the presentation. Then the holiday box I got from the food pantry I waited 3 weeks for did not have the things it said it should contain. Then the adrenaline and endorphin crash.

And on a perfectly normal Tuesday, after having set my resolve last night to soldier on about the holiday meal and dive into my other creative writing endeavors I was so excited to....

Melt down. Tears this morning. Despair. Anger.

I feel angry at MYSELF???? Like its my fault. Like I could have done something different. I kept up my sleep hygiene for the most part, I stayed hydrated and ate decently. I got my presentation done BEFORE I walked in to do it. I finished and posted a chapter of Getting Ahead. I didn't drink (52 days today). I got my Spawn to school and took care of her like a good mom. I took my meds. It's never gonna be enough, is it?

I just wish that if I knew that was the case, I could be less awful to myself about it. And I guess this is what they mean when you have a mood disorder and you learn to embrace yourself. What the fuck man.

(The meal thing will be resolved. No one's going without in my house this holiday. I just wish the food pantry would have done what they said they were going to do, not said they were going to do one thing and were like "oops, you're poor, be happy with this".)

If you're sensitive about issues of poverty, you can block the #poverty hashtag.

Find my shop here

Still reeling from the darkest December I can remember—rain, every day, whispers of wind rendering a sapphire sky into shades of monotone grey while the cold snap of my gingerbread heart echoes from miles away. I’ve unstrung twinkle lights, ironed wrinkles out of papered walls, and dismantled the mantle. Garlands, mistletoe, and bows no longer unceremoniously deck the halls that we once walked through. The ghosts of dusted pine trees have been summoned to the recesses of the attic for another three seasons of repose. But I know no peace, no calm, no sleep. Still reeling from the darkest December I can remember—endless sleet of ice shards in my coffee, thirty-one nights of persistent fight and flight, and thirty-one more mornings, haunted by the halo of a dawn that never quite came to light.

- Cora Finch

Important days such as holidays can be such a strange experience for those who were never raised with them, but in their adulthood they wish to celebrate. Like me. I want to experience the full magic there is to create the memories of a lifetime, but the longer I am in the world I make my own the easier it’s becoming to realize that I won’t ever be able to. The people that experienced holidays in their youth know what to do, how to celebrate, have traditions, how to experience the most out of holidays because they were TAUGHT how. I am lost. The holiday core memories never got formed for me so I don’t know the true magic…I probably never will. The basics of the holidays are simple. Halloween: Dress scary, get candy, decorate, go to haunted houses, go to a party. Christmas: Dress cozy, buy presents, get a tree, decorate, go to a party. Etc. Etc….I’m an adult now. I’m supposed to make the magic now. How do I create an experience I never had? For myself..or even my future kids?

Seeing my Christmas tree fill up with gifts that aren't for my kids... hurts.

For years I've tried to give my kids the very best but once again I'm in this place that hurts.

Not being able to give them everything that they want.

My financial means not being able to stretch as far as I want it to.

Credit card limits have reached there max.

Absent father's never asked to help.

All these years I've been doing this by myself.

The only thoughts I have is of sad faces weighing heavily on my heart.

As a parent I've tried... but this year I have to put my pride aside.

And explain why there's no gifts underneath the Christmas tree.

-Jeroberts

I'm being WORKED at the office this month...

So I have to go to the office holiday party in L.A. **I also haven't picked my outfit...!!!* this Saturday which I don't want to go but sorta have to :/ if I go to this big office even then I won't have to go to the others ones.

Then my next day off is this Sunday and basically working the next week straight cuz I have the following weekend off...I just feel I've been working and coming home TIRED.....