Posts tagged Survivor
The Mean Season: 6 Tips to Survive the Holidays When You’re Single, Sad, or Just Not Feeling Festive

Without question, the holiday season can be a real strain at the best of times. There’s the commercial pressure of gift-giving, the aggressive calendar of festive parties, and the sudden reappearance of relatives you’ve successfully avoided since Easter. Add twinkly lights and a soundtrack of relentless cheer, and suddenly everyone’s pretending it’s magical while quietly Googling “how early is too early for wine?”

Sure, the season looks pretty. Fairy lights do their job. Tinsel sparkles. But for a lot of us, the holidays are the most challenging time of year to be single, alone, grieving, or simply not where we thought we’d be by now.

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"How to Survive the Mean Season: Science-Backed Songs That Boost Your Happiness"

The Mean Season: How Music Can Boost Your Happiness—ScIENTIFIcally

If you’re anything like me, this time of year can feel overwhelming. I’ve officially nicknamed it the Mean Season — that period from Thanksgiving to Valentine’s Day when life seems to pile on the pressure. Our credit card bills are due from overspending at Christmas, our clothes don’t fit from overeating and over-drinking, and the sun has not been seen since October. To make matters suckier, we are guilted into making (and then breaking) New Year’s resolutions before the ice even melts. Yup, this season has its challenges. And if you’re single, you get to cap it all off with a front-row seat to all the lovebirds, armed only with a box of chocolates and a stack of rom-coms. No wonder Bridget Jones ended up cry-singing "All By Myself" into a hairbrush.

It’s hard, plain and simple. But don’t worry, I’ve found a little something to help us all out. To make the lack of sunlight and the relentless bone chill of winter just a little bit nicer. And don’t thank me, thank science.

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