here are some thoughts for the holidays 2023
hello friends! i just got back from a weekend spent around education and training for mindful movement in support of 12-step-style recovery, from either substance issues or being impacted by others' substance use, and it was REALLY AMAZING. i will probably write more about that at length another time. but what i wanted to do very quickly was to say a few things:
1) if the holidays are hard for you because people are constantly offering you things you don't want or can't have, you're not alone.
2) if the holidays are difficult for you because you have to be around people consuming things you don't want or can't have, you're not alone.
3) if the holidays are difficult for you because you have to avoid gatherings at which either of the above things might happen, and you feel guilty, shamed, frustrated, infuriated, and/or any sort of way about it, you're not alone.
4) if the holidays are hard for you for none of the above reasons but hard nonetheless, you're not alone.
you can love this time of year and hate it both, i am here to tell you! i always have to double-down on the support networks and resources available to me as a result. i wanted to share a few of those here (a lil Infophile-Style) -- these are all ones i have personally found useful/use on the regular.
sending you all the good thoughts for wherever you are, whoever you're with, and whatever you've got going on! 👋
1) if the holidays are hard for you because people are constantly offering you things you don't want or can't have, you're not alone.
2) if the holidays are difficult for you because you have to be around people consuming things you don't want or can't have, you're not alone.
3) if the holidays are difficult for you because you have to avoid gatherings at which either of the above things might happen, and you feel guilty, shamed, frustrated, infuriated, and/or any sort of way about it, you're not alone.
4) if the holidays are hard for you for none of the above reasons but hard nonetheless, you're not alone.
you can love this time of year and hate it both, i am here to tell you! i always have to double-down on the support networks and resources available to me as a result. i wanted to share a few of those here (a lil Infophile-Style) -- these are all ones i have personally found useful/use on the regular.
- Essays on recovery from substance abuse: The Small Bow, free
- Adult Child by Sara Zarr (Substack Archive). the newsletter has been dormant for a minute but the archives are well worth reading through! start here.
- In-person or online yoga for 12-step recovery meetings: Y12SR (open to any/all, free/pay what you can)
- Melody Beattie's The Language of Letting Go app (daily thoughts, especially good if you are dealing with people who feel toxic to you), $6.99 (Apple or Android)
- here is my favorite video of all time. it is a minute and 27 seconds of baby pandas playing, mostly on a slide.
- here is a song that, if i need deep emotional release, works every time. Frightened Rabbit, thank you and how dare.
- if prayer is a thing that works for you, here is another song, this time from theee India Arie.
sending you all the good thoughts for wherever you are, whoever you're with, and whatever you've got going on! 👋
Don't miss what's next. Subscribe to here are some thoughts: