As a student you've got a lot on your plate - academic work, social life, work commitments, career plans, relationships and finances - sometimes stress can get in the way of this juggling act. Discover what you can do to keep the worry at bay.'The stress response (fight/flight) is vital for human existence as it alerts us that something is wrong. It gives us the opportunity to act and respond,' says Alison Simmons, mental health and counselling manager at the University of Chester. Student stress can be caused by a variety of factors, including:

A study by the American Psychological Association (APA) found that teens report stress levels similar to adults.1 This means teens are experiencing significant levels of chronic stress and feel their stress levels generally exceed their ability to cope effectively. Roughly 30% of the teens reported feeling overwhelmed, depressed, or sad because of their stress.1 Stress can also affect health-related behaviors. Stressed students are more likely to have problems with disrupted sleep, poor diet, and lack of exercise. This is understandable given that nearly half of APA survey respondents reported completing three hours of homework per night in addition to their full day of school work and extracurriculars.

University can be a stressful experience, as well as being fun and exciting. You may feel stressed about starting university, exams, coursework deadlines, living with people you do not know, or thinking about the future. Stress is a natural feeling, designed to help you cope in challenging situations. In small amounts it can be good, because it pushes you to work hard and do your best, such as during exams. But if you're feeling very stressed or feel you cannot manage stress, it can lead to mental health problems such as depression and anxiety. It can also affect your academic performance. Leaving home to start your studies can involve some stressful changes. These might include moving to a new area, meeting new people and managing on a tight budget.

Even amid the rush of final exams and graduation celebrations at this time of year, college beckons with the chance to live on your own, find new friends, and explore interesting ideas. Yet for college students — as well as high school students and parents craning for a glimpse down the road — these changes can also be stressful. Overnight, college students separate from their traditional support system of family and friends. They also face many new challenges, such as living with roommates, managing heavy workloads, and developing an independent identity. It's no surprise that anxiety often spikes during college. So, what do we know about anxiety during the college years? How can you cope if you're facing it? And can you take steps this summer to help you handle anxiety when you head off to — or back to — a college campus?

It's 3 a.m. and you're still studying. Sweaty fingers turn the pages of your textbook as your heart tries to bust out of its chest-jail. In a daze, you scan the same dull paragraph four times before you realize that you aren't actually reading the text. Your head is pounding and you cannot concentrate as you count down the final hours, minutes and then seconds until you need to be relaying your knowledge on paper. You're stressed from studying and worrying about getting a good score.

A lack of sleep, poor eating habits, and not enough exercise are a recipe for depression among college students. The stress that comes with academia — including financial worries, pressure to get a good job after school, and failed relationships — is enough to force some students to leave college or worse.

You need to alphabetize those files, transcribe last week's meeting, and then look up some tax codes, but actually motivating yourself to take care of these tedious tasks can be a real challenge. According to new research from APS Fellow James J. Gross (Stanford University) and colleagues, people are much more likely to take on boring, unpleasant tasks when they're in a good mood.

We all have moments where our social skills fail us. Perhaps your joke was greeted with awkward silence. Or, at a restaurant, you enthusiastically told the waiter that they, too, should enjoy their meal. The odd mishap with friends is hardly cause for alarm. The embarrassment will soon transform into an inside joke, deeping your bond with others. But, if you fumble too often, it can take a toll on your self-esteem and mental health. If you don't know how to improve your social skills, it can hold you back socially and at work. Some behaviors can come across as antisocial or even harmful to others, while simple shyness can read as aloof, standoffish, or arrogant. Knowing this might not put you at ease, but it can help you understand other people's reactions.