In the past few years, student stress levels have increased. A study released by NYU shows that 49% of students feel very stressed on a daily basis. Most of the students who answered that they were constantly feeling stress reported that it was due to schoolwork or being at school.

The term student stress is very broad, though. Student stress can be caused by a variety of factors. Some stress among students can relate to homework, while other stress could be due to an upcoming test, or grades. Other students may find themselves stressed about their social lives.

Homework is a major source of stress. According to oxfordlearning.com, “When your child is overwhelmed or frustrated by homework, it makes it harder for him or her to complete assignments. This can cause a stressful cycle.” Some teachers give time consuming homework and large quantities of it which can increase stress. However, there are some ways to cope with this stress. One example for relieving homework stress is to attempt to get work done ahead of time. If you have a day where teachers do not assign much homework, you can try to ask your teachers to give you work early. This way you can complete some of it in advance to reduce work later. In addition, finding a quiet place to do homework can help. Even with a lot of work to complete, being in a quiet environment can reduce time spent on homework. Therefore, it can decrease stress. Also, staying organized by keeping a planner or list of the homework you have can help reduce stress related to homework. If you check off an item, it sends a message to your brain that you have finished one thing. Of course, this won’t help with the amount of homework you have, but it will reduce stress about it. Finally, reaching out to a friend for help with homework if needed can help aid stress. If you are stuck on something, you might find that asking a friend or classmate can be a good solution.

There are also stress relievers for stress prior to taking tests. Even if you feel extremely prepared for a test, there always seems to be stress that creeps in right before taking a test, or even during one. According to ,therapist Jessica Tappana explains that one way to relieve this stress is by taking deep breaths. By doing this, a message is sent to your brain, signaling that you should relax. Breathing exercises are a good way to relax and reduce stress, so this helps before tests. Another way to reduce stress before and during tests is by preparing a strategy. For example, if there is a problem that intimidates you, you can try to solve it, and if you are unable to, a possible strategy could be to skip the question and eventually come back to it. This especially helps on tests with time limits. By having a strategy, you will be less stressed if a problem occurs. Of course, if you prepare before, hopefully a problem like this will not happen. (And remember, later in life, no one will ever view your middle school grades.)

Finally, social pressures also create anxiety in many students. Middle school is a time of change, and some students don’t feel as connected to their friends/ classmates as they would like to be. Some suggestions to broaden your friend group or deal with social issues are joining a club that interests you, engaging in new activities, and choosing an elective that is collaborative, such as drama.

Mental health professional Stefanie Juliano agrees with many others that teachers could also help relieve student stress. This could be by making homework assignments available in advance, giving study guides, and overall taking students’ feelings into consideration in the way they assign homework and administer tests. In addition, teachers can help create an environment in which students feel free to speak, and feel comfortable. Reducing student stress would improve the learning environment for everyone.If you ever feel overwhelmed with your anxiety, you should know that there is always someone to help, like a friend, parent, teacher, or guidance counselor.