The holiday season often marks the beginning of a stress-filled marathon that lasts until the new year. Overeating, gift giving, and extended stays with the in-laws drum up those familiar feelings that can leave both your wallet and your mental gas tank empty.

The Recreation and Wellness Center on the Cal State East Bay campus at Hayward took notice and hosted the De-Stress Fest on Nov. 29 in order to educate students on ways to unwind during this mentally demanding part of the quarter. The De-Stress Fest is the brainchild of the RAW committee that is comprised of students attending CSUEB.

“This event has been held for the last three years and is a good way to lead into finals with positivity,” said Ben Ko, student volunteer and member of the RAW committee.

The sound of a mix of holiday ballads and today’s pop hits filled the air as groupings of five to six students moved from station to station. Students gathered signatures from the booth attendants in order to attain a CSUEB beanie or pair of winter gloves. Some attendants admitted that they had done the minimum of three activities just to get the winter apparel. Drinks and snacks were offered.

There were nine activities on offer ranging from making holiday ornaments to receiving a hand massage. Over the five hours that the event took place an estimated hundred plus students took advantage of the activities on offer.

“Let’s dispel myths about the flu!” said Jessica Jimenez, a student volunteer running the cold and flu prevention table. Students were tested on a few common misconceptions of the transmission of the flu virus and were sent away with ChapStick and hand sanitizer, both branded with the Student Health and Services insignia.

A quarter of adults feel heightened levels of stress during the holiday season, according to the American Psychological Association in their annual survey called, “Stress in America: The State of Our Nation.”

The average American’s weight rises 0.2 percent during the Thanksgiving holiday and Americans on average weigh 0.4 percent more than they did the 10 days before Christmas, according to a Cornell University study published in September of 2016 in the New England Journal of Medicine. That means if you weigh 165 pounds, you can plan to gain seven to eight pounds between the two holidays, providing one more reason to keep exercise a staple of new year’s resolutions.