Stress is how a person responds to being under pressure or feeling threatened and is a common feeling that many of us have experienced. Even though it is a common feeling, it is still important to manage stress as when unmanaged and left to grow, stress can become unmanageable and feel overwhelming to the point of taking over a person's life. When unmanaged stress can lead to the development of mental health conditions such as anxiety and depression.

Stress usually happens in situations where a person feels they have little control over or that they can't manage and can have both a mental and physical impact on a person.

Stress can be caused by many different situations and circumstances and what is stressful to a person is unique to them. However, there are some situations that can be stressful for a lot of people. Some of these have been listed below:

• Schoolwork, decisions about subjects, exams, and pressure to do well.

• Relationships with friends and romantic relationships.

• Life changes like leaving school, moving house, going to university, or getting a job.

• Too many things to do, and feeling unprepared or overwhelmed by tasks.

A small amount of stress under the right circumstances can be helpful and is completely normal. However, stress can become a problem when it lasts for too long or is very intense. If this is the case, it is important for a person to seek help.

Even though stress isn't a mental health condition itself, it can be the cause of a person's mental health worsening and the development of mental health conditions.

When stress lasts for a long amount of time it can start to cause problems for a person's mental health. Long-term stress can increase the likeliness of anxiety and depression occurring as well as substance use problems and problems with sleep.

Irritation and aggression are also common experiences caused by stress that can impact a person. Stress can lead a person to feel a loss of control and can cause high levels of fatigue, exhaustion, and sadness that can impact a person's mental state.

Stress is difficult to avoid and can feel overwhelming. However, there are some things you can do to stop it from completely taking over your life:

• Take a short walk when you feel stressed starting

• Set manageable and achievable goals for your day, week, and month, this can help you focus on your accomplishments and feel in control

• Saying no to extra responsibilities can help to remove the stress of extra things to do

• Spend time doing things you enjoy