It's the Least Miserable Time of the Year

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Our entire lives.

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We've been told that the holidays are the most wonderful time of the year.

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But have we ever thought about like, is that actually true?

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And if it is w Y.

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Welcome to episode 72 of this shit works.

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I am your host, Julie Brown.

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And today we are discussing, is it the most wonderful time of the year?

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Or is it just the least miserable?

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This episode is sponsored by Nickerson.

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A full service, branding, marketing PR and communications agency

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At Nickerson C O s.com.

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So.

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Are the holidays really the most wonderful time of the year.

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I mean, we tend to be more stressed during the holidays.

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With numerous events.

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Family obligations and making sure we get everything done before.

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Santa gets here.

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Not to mention that the holiday season also ushers in colds, the flu and likely

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other diseases, especially this year.

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Additionally, there is severely reduced daylight.

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Currently.

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My days are bookended by darkness.

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I wake up in the dark and by the time I head home from work.

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It's dark.

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But even with all of this in American psychological association study

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found that nearly 80% of people reported that they were positive

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and happy during the holidays.

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One explanation from a Washington post article is that we tend

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to experience holiday induced euphoria at this time of year.

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The article wouldn't go so far as to say the holidays are the most

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wonderful time of the year, but.

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That there's pretty good evidence that the holidays are the least

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miserable time of the year.

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So if the holidays are the least miserable time of the year, is there

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a most miserable time of the year?

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Well, yes.

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According to studies done on Google searches for terms like

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seasonal affective disorder.

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Anxiety depression, stress and misery general malaise peaks in

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March, which is fan fucking tastic because that's when my birthday is.

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The reason for the March.

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Malays is a bit of a mystery, as one would think that with temperatures

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rising, And the day's getting longer.

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The opposite would be true that we'd be getting happier, but we'll just keep

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that for a different podcast episode.

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Maybe in March.

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Back to Christmas and the holiday season.

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Even if it's not scientifically proven to be the most wonderful time of the year.

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Nothing consistently captivates our attention year after year.

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Like the holidays.

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It is no doubt, a special time of year.

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The holiday season signifies hopeful anticipation.

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One is led to expect any number of miracles might happen

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during the holiday season.

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Making amends with people who have heard us family gatherings.

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A special card from relatives or friends.

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Uh, thoughtful, present from someone important or even a taste

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of our favorite holiday food.

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Some miracles are significant.

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Perhaps life-changing while others are small, but no less life affirming.

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Our minds are set on kind of emerging.

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Voyage of hope and nostalgia.

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From for me, it's the first whiff of the Christmas season.

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That smell of pine or for some it's the first dusting of snow.

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The lavish flavors of a Christmas cookie.

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We're excited to hear the familiar charm or our favorite Christmas songs, as

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well as discover some new ones, maybe.

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The glitz and glam of presence as we I'm wrapped them.

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How they crunch and they crinkle.

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That's kind of satisfying.

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The feeling when someone gives you a gift, just thinking that they have,

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even for just a moment, thought about you and taken into consideration

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what you might need or want.

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Most of all, we look forward to giving, to surprising the people we

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love with our own heartfelt gifts.

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Every fiber of our being is hoping for a miracle to happen in the season.

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This is the magic.

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The holiday season brings.

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This is why it's the most wonderful time of the year.

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It doesn't stop there.

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Christmas brings magic literally everywhere.

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The streets transform into like winter wonderlands trees transform into

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symbols of our Christmases past as we hang ornaments from years before.

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Lawns and gardens getting on the glam with lights strung from one to another.

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There are joy in these details.

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There's also a fundamental sense of family and friends that seems to

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spread around the world this time of year, our edges seem to doll.

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And people are more likely to try to get along.

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That might be the most magical part of Christmas.

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It brings people together.

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We get to have time to spend with family and friends.

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Time to return to our truest values, focusing on the people

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we love and care most about.

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I was recently in New York city for a wedding and no one can say that New York

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city doesn't know how to do Christmas.

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Each storefront was a veritable pimp.

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My building of Christmas decorations and lights.

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Each street corner had a salvation army attendee, not only ringing

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their bells, but with full on Christmas music to back them up.

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Chris.

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And I took our picture in front of the Rockefeller center tree.

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And on the way home, we caught an impromptu Christmas

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concert in front of St.

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Patrick's cathedral.

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It was indeed magical.

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Did the street smell like piss?

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Did I overhear one guy yelling at another to go fuck himself

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right there on the sidewalk?

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I sure did.

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And all that stuff was still there, but it was magical.

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Just the same.

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So maybe the lesson going forward is to better acknowledge the small wonders

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all year round and minimize the effects.

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The less wonderful stuff has on us.

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Are you ready for this episode's cocktail?

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It's called the Holly jolly Christmas.

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Citrus cocktail.

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Lonza mouthful.

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It's a mix of vodka.

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St Germain and fresh squeezed winter citrus juices, which either.

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You know, it would be like a Clementine or blood orange.

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I love blood orange.

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So that's what I used.

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All of this stuff is mixed together.

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And then top two with ginger beer.

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And if you want to be extra festive, like pomegranate seeds.

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Here's what you're going to need.

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Two ounces of vodka.

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Half ounce of St.

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Germain.

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A third of a cup of, fresh squeeze, Clementine, or blood orange juice,

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and then ginger beer for topping.

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And then, like I said, those pomegranate seeds for garnish.

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So fill a cocktail glass with ice at the vodka elderflower liquor

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and the Clementine juice top with ginger beer at the pomegranates.

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And time or mint.

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And that's it.

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I'm wishing you the happiest holidays.

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Thank you for being here and spending this time with me.

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Until next week.