The holidays are here, but for millions of people, this isn’t the most wonderful time of the year.

If you’re struggling with family pressure, grief, seasonal depression (SAD), boundaries, addiction recovery, or eating disorder triggers, this special episode is for you.

Today we welcome back Lauren McNeese, author of The Orange Scarf and one of the NSLP community’s most loved guests, to break down practical, compassionate tools for surviving the holiday season. Even when you feel overwhelmed, exhausted, or alone.

Together, we explore:

-How to set boundaries with family, and enforce them

-Why cutting off toxic family isn’t selfish (and how to handle guilt)

-Holiday coping strategies for anxiety, depression, and seasonal affective disorder

-Navigating food, social gatherings, and body comments while in eating disorder recovery

-Alcohol-free holidays & how to respond when people push drinks on you

-The power of “glimmers,” routines, and accountability buddies

-How to care for yourself if you’re estranged from family

-Finding safe people, safe spaces, and safe traditions

-The mindset shift that turns survival into strength

This episode is warm, honest, emotional, and deeply validating for anyone who finds the holidays to be a challenge rather than a celebration.

If you’re struggling, you are not broken. You’re human. And you’re not alone.

✨ Things You’ll Find in This Episode

• Tools for surviving holiday stress

• Boundary-setting scripts you can actually use

• Strategies for SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder)

• Addiction recovery tips for holiday gatherings

• Eating disorder tips for a safe holiday plans

• How trauma shapes holiday expectations

• How to build a chosen family

• Emotional resilience & self-compassion practices

• Personal stories from Lauren, Aaron, and Tim

• Validation, humor, and hope when you need it most

📚 Guest Resources

🔸 The Orange Scarf by Lauren McNeese:

https://www.amazon.com/Orange-Scarf-Testing-Residential-Treatment-ebook/dp/B0FP5VDW6G

🔸 Lauren’s Substack: Lauren McNeese (essays on healing, mental health, and recovery):

https://theorangescarf.substack.com/

If this episode helps you, please share it with someone who might need it.

The holiday season is tough, none of us should go through it alone.

🎧 Watch or Listen Now

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🌐 Website: https://nostreetlights.org

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📩 Contact: [email protected]

🎵 Music by Hyland Markle – @hylandmarkle

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