Kailey Krantz | Staff Writer
The holidays are meant to be celebrated with your closest friends and family, but there is a lot of pressure to deal with.
The holidays like Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa and New Year’s Eve come with big expectations from everybody. But as college students who stress over assignments and work for months, the break adds a whole new level of stress.
According to the American Psychology Association, about 89% of adults surveyed said their stress and anxiety increase when the holidays come around— sadly, it’s not at all surprising.
As an online student who is with their family every waking day, it can be a lot to deal with because there are times when I feel that I have no chance to breathe or have a moment for myself.
Part of the holiday magic comes with being there with your family, but I feel indifferent because I’m always with them.
And what about the students who can’t come visit their families that easily or want to take the winter break as an opportunity to travel? They’re worried they’ll be made out to be the bad guy by some distant relative because of their absence.
And some students are hesitant to come back because they don’t want to relive their family drama, especially when they’ve worked so hard to create a life that was free from that.
Then there is the financial stress of buying the “perfect” present for everyone.
As we’re crossing off the names in our list, the total price of these presents adds up fast. Some of the presents we end up buying our friends and family members cost an arm and a leg which isn’t great when we’re trying to pay for our tuition, books, room and board and other vital expenses.
The holidays are supposed to be a time for joy and laughter, we shouldn’t be spending half of that time pulling our hair out.
The holidays can send your mind into a whirlwind, but it doesn’t have to be that way.
One thing I do to check in with myself is sit with my emotions. I recognize that these feelings are perfectly normal and I don’t have to force a smile when I’m not okay.
I’m also very lucky to have a support system of friends and family who have always been there for me whenever I needed them the most.
Though the holiday season brings us lots of joy, the stress is unavoidable at times. Taking care of ourselves mentally however we think is best is important to remember.
DISCLAIMER:
The opinions presented on this page do not represent the views of the PantherNOW Editorial Board. These views are separate from editorials and reflect the perspectives of contributing writers and/or university community members.
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