Stress is a physical and/or mental response that is triggered by the feeling of lack of control over a difficult, dangerous or challenging situation.

On a scale of 10, the range of students suffering from stress is 5.8, while in adults it is 3.8.

In the country, 8 out of 10 university students report high levels of stress.

Previously, stress was a condition that was thought to only affect adults due to factors such as work, family, health, and economy, among others. However, not so much attention was paid to it as to know that it is a condition that has always affected children and young people, influencing their development, performance, and growth.

In addition, stress directly affects their education as it alters their approach to new knowledge, modifying the learning process. This can lead to falling behind, poor retention of new concepts, lack of motivation to continue learning, dropouts, and other consequences.

How to identify when students are suffering from stress?

1. They look tired and sleepy all the time.
2. They show signs of anxiety such as biting their nails, rubbing their hands constantly, among others. 
3. Insomnia 
4. They are constantly getting sick because their immune system is lowered
5. They have difficulty concentrating 
6. Memory problems
7. Irritability or sudden mood swings 
8. Low motivation to perform academic activities 
9. Insecurity and lack of confidence in themselves and their abilities to perform any activity.
10. In extreme cases, depression

How can we help them to manage stress and avoid a lack of control and depression?

1. Teach them to plan their tasks and prioritize their objectives. 
2. Provide them with study techniques that are adapted to each student, since not everyone learns in the same way.
3. Encourage breaks between activities to maintain a balance. 
4. Teach them that mistakes are opportunities to learn and grow. 
5. Encourage self-confidence and self-assurance. 
6. Manage fear as something that drives them to face the challenges of everyday life. 
7. Celebrate their achievements.
8. Create communication spaces where they can express their thoughts, ideas, concerns, and more. 

It is not difficult to help students manage stress and act on it. Stress exists and is something that we all experience constantly because of the world we live in. And it will not affect just their personal life, it can affect their learning experience through the years. 

April is the National Stress Awareness Month, an opportunity to help students know how to react to it so that it does not influence their development and growth, their decisions, their future plans, their beliefs, their environment, and their life in general. It is a way to bring them closer to the reality of the world. To make them aware that in order to achieve something they will have to go through obstacles, difficulties and, sometimes painful situations, failures, and more. But they need to know they are not impossible to overcome.