Walking through the building, you’re bound to hear a few conversations between students concerning an upcoming test, difficult homework, or a looming project. The halls are filled with students rushing to and from class, often clutching a few books and folders that wouldn’t fit into their backpack. People are on edge, always worried about getting somewhere on time and with everything they need.

With these observations, it’s not surprising that stress is one of the first words that pop into people’s heads when asked to think about school. Chronic stress is a side-effect of school people have come to expect, without giving much regard to any of it’s implications.

For students, it’s all too easy to let school overtake their entire life, having spent all day there and then coming home to do everything that couldn’t be shoved into the daily 6 hours of instruction.

“I have to work in all my free periods, like lunch and study hall and stuff. That’s how I get work done,” said Peyton Herman, a junior. “Usually, I probably have about three hours of homework to do at home.”

This is commonplace, trying to get as much work done as possible during those fleeting moments during the school day when your are otherwise unoccupied, but that doesn’t mean it’s healthy.

Overworking, though perhaps good for meeting deadlines, is known for raising stress levels dramatically.

“I would say honors students are a lot more stressed out because they have a lot more on their plates,” said Erik Westerberg, a math teacher who’s taught both regular and honors courses. “They’re asked to do so many other things, generally speaking… I’ve seen the same things as well with regular students. I think it’s really due to the ability level of that student.”

It’s clear that stress and anxiety runs rampant amongst the student body– but what are the permanent implications?

According to a study done UC Berkeley, chronic stress and elevated levels of cortisol– the stress hormone– can reduce the number of neurons in certain parts of the brain. For instance, researchers found that the hippocampus– the memory center– tends to shrink, possibly impairing future learning and memory related functions.

Beyond just the effects on the brain and nervous system, high stress levels are linked with high blood pressure, skin problems, muscle pain and diabetes.

Clearly, chronic stress is something to avoid; but it’s difficult when some students have so much to do and not enough time to do it. Some even use up their free periods during the day to finish up work.

“It’s like my only mental break during the school day, and it’s really stressful to have to work still,” said Herman. “You need to have a mental break where you’re not thinking all the time; that’s why some kids might be out of it in one class or will seem like they’re not interested because they’re so stressed from other classes and all the work they are demanding.”

This is exactly why we need to take time for ourselves. When we pressure ourselves to work, work, work we aren’t taking the time to appreciate what we’re learning. We can end up losing interest in both the subject and in school, making any time between Sunday night and Friday afternoon near torture.

School is meant to be a defining point in your life; you find out how the world works, who your friends are, who you are. That experience shouldn’t be cloaked in stress and anxiety.

If you feel like you have too much on your plate, take some time. Shoot your teachers an email, talk to your parents and just give your mind a break. You deserve it.