First Friday Recommendations
If you find yourself dragging more this time of year, when winter hibernation has lost a lot of its charm and the post-holidays gloom has set in, please believe you are not alone. Many of us have a hard time by February and can struggle with day-to-day activities. May I suggest and remind that it is always a good course of action to seek out professional help when you are having more bad days than good ones. There are also just some seasons we must weather through, and listed below are recommendations to encourage you in this one.
Song: “It Is What It Is” by Jenna Raine
This is such a catchy tune, with lyrics that acknowledge some of the ongoing struggles and frustrations we may find through life. At the same time, the instrumentation is so upbeat I find myself dancing around and shaking off the winter blues in spite of myself. Definitely a song to sing while cleaning house and dusting away that February gloom.
Reading: “The Mountain Is You” by Brianna Wiest
Sometimes a self-help book calls you out in all the right ways and points out blind spots you can no longer claim to be unaware of. This is one of those. I found myself both reflecting on how to apply this to my own life, and thinking of different people I wanted to recommend aspects of every chapter to. This time of year, as we are hunkered down is a great time to slow down and reflect on the internal things we want to strengthen and what we want to nurture in ourselves.
Podcast Episode: “The Infrastructure of Community” by How to Talk to People from The Atlantic
This episode has given me a lot to think about in how we navigate our shared community spaces and the value they hold. There is such an importance in having strong social bonds, which can be hard to attain in our busy culture that puts efficiency and autonomy over social connections. One of my goals for this year is to develop and enjoy my role in my community more, and put more emphasis on being a part of the larger infrastructure I live in. Something that I can both contribute to and be supported by.