While meant to be a time of celebration and cheer, the holiday season can also bring increased levels of stress. According to the American Psychological Association, the top stressors we face during this time of the year include things like lack of time, money concerns, over commercialization, gift-giving pressures, and family get-togethers with people we don’t see all that often.
And, because of the coronavirus pandemic, in many cases it’s been quite some time since we’ve gotten together with family — and because of increasing levels of polarization in our society, there are more than a few topics that are what you might call third-rails, meaning subjects or issues that might be be too controversial to discuss.
We discuss ways to deal with relationship stressors during these trying times, how to handle conflict across the dinner table, and ways to reduce stress and anxiety for people of all ages.
Guests:
- Dr. Julie Rego, Director of Outreach and Prevention at Florida Gulf Coast University’s Counseling & Psychological Services.
- Jennifer Hagen, Family & Consumer Sciences Agent at the University of Florida's Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Extension office in Lee County.