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Long-term stress harms your body and mind — but it's manageable with the right strategies.

Sleep, nutrition, and movement are the foundation for handling academic stress effectively.

Breaks, friends, and a positive mindset can dramatically reduce end-of-semester pressure.

For college students, handling stress is the most frequently cited mental health issue. And yes, that does increase exponentially at the end of each semester.

Our nervous system is designed to cope with the moderate stressors that come and go through the day, as well as to survive an intense but brief stressor (such as running from a predator). We all need to “power up” to meet the challenge of taking an exam, running a race, or performing in a concert. It’s important to remember that some stress is good — it helps motivate us.

However, our system isn’t meant to endure long-term stress, whether physical or psychological.

Metaphorically, long-term stress is like flooring the gas pedal all the time. We would never do that to our vehicles. We press moderately on the gas, use the brakes frequently, and only floor the gas pedal for brief moments, like getting up to speed on the highway.

Why would we ask anything different from our body’s stress........

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