Stress can come from many sources, but the last thing people suspect is having stress about going home for the holidays.

Feeling overwhelmed is a sign of too much stress, “but it depends on each person,” said Amy Charlton, intern for the counseling center. Charlton, who presented a workshop Wednesday night, cited the anticipation of grades, packing and shopping as some reasons why students feel stressed out before going home.

“There’s not a whole lot you can do to avoid these things,” Charlton said. “The main thing to do is de-stress.”

Charlton also said her personal way of “de-stressing” is to “talk a lot with friends or watch a movie.”

Talking with parents about such things like curfew, and what their expectations are, can also help ease the transition back home because it is likely that parents are just as stressed as students.

Junior English and sociology major Mike Hilty said he believes that there are a lot more stressed-out students on campus than people think. Hilty said one way he manages his stress is through friends.

“If you keep stress built up inside it will eat you up pretty bad,” he said. “Just freely say what you want.”

Students, however, are not the only people who have stress on campus this time of year. Professor Alan Grant, economics professor of 10 years at Eastern, said professors’ stress is pretty similar except that professors have to deal with families and other items while students focus on school. Grant stated that his hardest class this semester to teach is International Economics class because of all the students in it. He jokingly stated he copes with stress through “working out and alcohol.”

Charlton had one last bit of advice, “The best advice I can give you is to plan in advance,” and that there is “never a bad time to de-stress for a few hours or a few seconds.”