Welcome to Life Noggin.

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Everything's rounded!

Very trendy!

There's always a lot of excitement at the end of the year—but also a lot of things to worry about.

Studying for final exams, getting all of your grades, buying presents for loved ones, traveling to see friends and family.

Okay.

Wow, I'm starting to get stressed out here myself.

Like really stressed!

What if I have a heart attack?

Oh no, could you die from stress?

Oh, now I'm stressed out about that too!

Okay, Blocko, deep breath.

It's gonna be okay!

Stress is your body's response to a demand.

When you experience stress, like a major deadline or a traumatic event, your body releases hormones and chemicals like adrenaline, cortisol and norepinephrine.

These things come in handy during life or death situations where you have to react quickly or perform a heroic feat of strength, like this!

Is this impressing anybody?

No?

Alright.

I'm putting it down.

But chronic or persistent stress can have negative effects on your health.

When you are constantly stressed, your body is continuously executing the fight or flight response that unleashes the wave of hormones and chemicals throughout your body.

This eventually takes it's toll.

Stress hormones can have a negative effect on your central nervous system—which is made up of your brain and spinal cord.

Studies have found that while some stress can improve memory, chronic stress can decrease your brain mass and cause structural changes, resulting in the worsening of your memory, cognition, and ability to learn.

Stress hormones also have a big impact on your heart.

They can cause an increase in blood vessel constriction, leading to a higher risk of heart attacks and other heart conditions.

Some researchers even suggest that severe stress can lead to premature death, or sudden death, especially in those who have a history of heart disease.

Yeah, okay, alright, I need to calm down.

Stress can also weaken your immune system, making you more susceptible to colds and infections.

Research also shows that stress can make vaccines less effective and wounds take longer to heal.

Stress can also cause problems in your respiratory, digestive, and reproductive systems, contribute to mental disorders like depression and anxiety, and lead to over or under eating—which could put you at risk for malnutrition.

Students reaching adulthood experience particularly high levels of stress due to demands from school, pressures to succeed, the transition into college life, and post-graduation plans.

A 2017 study by the American College Health Association found that 87% of students were overwhelmed with all the things they had to do.

Another study of nearly 14,000 college students found that 45% experienced two or more major stressors in the past year, and 26% were unable to even manage their stress.

The good news is that many students are seeking help.

One college counseling center reported a 231% increase in yearly visits and a 173% increase in total yearly clients.

This center offers both individual and group talk therapy sessions that aim to teach students how to better deal with their issues.

In addition to counseling, studies have found that college students can benefit from coping strategies aimed at changing or adapting to the stressor.

Certain meditation techniques are great, exercise can also help, and there are tons of online educational tools.

While good grades are important, so is your health and well being.

It is possible to work yourself to death, so yeah, it's important take breaks, relax, and ask for help when you need it.

Do you need to get the thing you're stressed about off your chest?

If you feel comfortable with sharing, let me know in the comment section below.

Let's all support each other in these very stressful times.

Curious to know the dangerous effects of bullying?

Well then you should check out this video I did with Triangle Bob.

They often experience neglect, or are themselves bullied by parents or siblings.

Due to feeling shame from their own experiences, they might develop defense mechanisms like aggression.

Targets of bullying often do worse in school and are more likely to skip or dropout.

As always, my name is Blocko, this has been Life Noggin, don't forget to keep on thinking.