{"id":16751,"date":"2020-12-03T19:58:28","date_gmt":"2020-12-04T03:58:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wou.edu\/westernhowl\/?p=16751"},"modified":"2020-12-15T17:49:06","modified_gmt":"2020-12-16T01:49:06","slug":"resources-for-tough-times-during-the-holidays","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wou.edu\/westernhowl\/resources-for-tough-times-during-the-holidays\/","title":{"rendered":"Resources for tough times during the holidays"},"content":{"rendered":"

What to do when the holiday blues strike <\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

Natalie Dean<\/strong> | Entertainment Editor <\/span><\/p>\n

There\u2019s no amount of eggnog, Hallmark movies or peppermint bark that can fully cure the holiday blues. There are great parts of the holidays, don\u2019t get me wrong. Half the fun is in buying gifts for family and friends, drinking too much hot chocolate and cozying up in bed to sleep the day away. <\/span><\/p>\n

The overall Christmas cheer and elaborate colorful lights around town do help ease the gloomy, cold days that have set in. There\u2019s no denying that this year has been a whirlwind, and with everything combined, the encroaching Yuletide can sometimes feel like an emotional tsunami. The reality is that sometimes the holidays are just plain difficult, even if it can generally be a positive time. We\u2019re only human, and everyone is just trying their best with what they\u2019ve got. How we deal with trying times is ultimately up to us, but there are resources available to prepare for the upcoming holidays and New Year.<\/span><\/p>\n

Financial stress and food insecurity can affect many people during their life, and extra help can be the difference between eating some nights versus not. Western has its own Food Pantry, and updates can be found on their Facebook and Instagram page, @WOUFoodPantry. <\/span><\/p>\n

There\u2019s also a comprehensive list of food pantries and hunger relief organizations in Marion and Polk County that can be found at <\/span>https:\/\/marionpolkfoodshare.org\/get-help\/<\/span><\/a>. Services like these are available to anyone facing any level of food insecurity. This website lists the name of the organization, as well as their address and phone number, and their hours of operation.<\/span><\/p>\n

There are many helplines and text services that can potentially help those who need someone to listen, talk to or get additional help. It can be extremely difficult to ask for help when needed the most, and if you or someone you love could benefit from these hotlines, don\u2019t be afraid to just check these out. If they aren\u2019t quite what you\u2019re looking for, that\u2019s okay too.<\/span><\/p>\n