HOLIDAY STRESS

ECU experts weigh in on seasonal stresses, anxiety

While Andy Williams may have declared the holidays the “hap-happiest season of all,” for many of us, this time of year is synonymous with increased stress and anxiety.

“The holidays are like a coin. You have the family, fun, happiness and traditions all on one side of the coin, and then you have the stress of it all on the other side,” said Dr. Ashley Britton, a clinical assistant professor in the Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Medicine at ECU’s Brody School of Medicine.

The stressors can come from anywhere, including family tensions, finances, work demands, changing family dynamics and even dealing with the loss of a family member, friend or material possessions.

“It puts a lot of strain on people – personally or financially – when they have these kinds of issues to deal with,” Britton said.

For many college students, the holiday season kicks off during a high-pressure time of their scholastic careers when they are preparing for final exams and projects, said Emily-Lynn Adkins, associate director of Parent and Family Programs at ECU.

“And our families are experiencing a little bit of stress because they are going to be welcoming their students home for an extended period of time,” Adkins added. “For our first-year students and families, this will be the longest period of time that they’ll be home since they’ve experienced that sense of independence when they got here to ECU.”

Despite these stressors, the holiday season is still about family and belongingness, Britton said.

“But you can choose to define ‘family’ however you may like and you can choose to surround yourself with a community of people who are supportive and who are happy to know you and cherish you,” she said.

Below are some examples of stress that are often amplified during the holiday season and ways in which East Carolina University is working to alleviate them.