{"type":"rich","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Transistor","provider_url":"https://transistor.fm","author_name":"Beyond Your Default","title":"Unwrapping Holiday Fatigue, New Year's Blues, and Seasonal Funk ","html":"","width":"100%","height":180,"duration":3233,"description":"“It’s the most wonderful time of the year . . . It’s the hap-happiest season of all.”So says a classic song of the holiday season. But is it?A lesser known Christmas song by Dean Martin sheds a little light on what some folks — regardless of their religious affiliation — might be feeling this time of year, when commercials push family togetherness and talk of New Year's resolutions start in full swing:The Christmas Blues by Dean MartinThe jingle bells are jinglingThe streets are white with snowThe happy crowds are minglingBut there's no one that I knowI'm sure that you'll forgive meIf I don't enthuseI guess I've got the Christmas bluesI've done my window shoppingThere's not a store I've missedBut what's the use of stoppingWhen there's no one on your listYou'll know the way I'm feelingWhen you love and you loseI guess I've got the Christmas bluesWhen somebody wants youSomebody needs youChristmas is a joy of joyBut friends, when you're lonelyYou'll find that it's onlyA thing for little girls and little boysMay all your days be merryYour seasons full of cheerBut 'til it's JanuaryI'll just go and disappearOh Santa may have brought you some stars for your shoesBut Santa only brought me the bluesThose brightly packaged tinsel covered Christmas bluesOh Santa may have brought you some stars for your shoesBut Santa only brought me the bluesThose brightly packaged tinsel covered Christmas bluesThis week, we're not pretending that, for some of us, this time of year is a jingle bell-decked cake walk. Instead, we're leaning into the discomfort, loneliness, and stress some of us may be feeling as we look ahead to the new year. Rest assured, if any part of those lyrics resonated with you, you're certainly not alone. Heck, the last thing this holiday season is for me this year is normal, so I'm right there with you. So, gather 'round, friends. Your feelings, whatever they may be (anger, fear, lack of connection), are entirely valid. Now, let's talk about how we can move forward...","thumbnail_url":"https://img.transistorcdn.com/fzZn9XhBUzA18it7_m76tStf-fGAgLyA6P_A27igPRI/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:400/h:400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS85YjM0/MmM2ZmQ2YTdlZGY2/ZTQ1YzNhZDcyYjQ4/MTY5YS5wbmc.webp","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300}