Extracurriculars, clubs, jobs, sports, homework, pressure to get into college, relationships, family responsibilities – the list goes on. Today’s teens are no strangers to pressure and busy schedules. In fact, young people generally experience more stress than older generations. According to an American Psychological Association survey, self-reported stress levels have also increased from 10 to 30 percent in the past three decades, young people being among the most stressed-out.

“I think college and life after high school is much more competitive, so therefore, life in high school has become much more competitive,” Counselor Kristi Gibson said. “Increasing expectations are more stressful, and because of that, students put a lot more pressure on themselves.”

With all AP courses, soccer, a job and honor societies to manage, senior Kylie Carimi is all too familiar with late-night studying. Some days, she leaves her house at 7:30 a.m. and doesn’t return until 9:30 p.m. When soccer season starts, she’ll have games to add to the equation.

“I put it on myself because I don’t want to get bad grades or do badly in soccer,” Carimi said. “And with the job, I want to have money for next year because I’m not going to have parents to help me all of the time.”

However, teen stress is not restricted to school and work. About half of the marriages in the U.S. end in divorce. Teenagers in this situation and teens of single-parent homes oftentimes feel increased pressure.

“Kids have to be more responsible, and sometimes they’re forced to grow up sooner,” Gibson said.

Other contributors to stress in teens are economic concerns. Even though the recession formally ended in 2009, many are still facing the effects. When parents lose their jobs or are not making as much money as they had in previous years, teens tend to experience strain as well. Not only do these students feel increased pressure to receive college scholarships, but they also face more responsibilities.

“They have more of a responsibility to take care of their family,” Carimi said. “Their parents work, so they have to take care of little siblings. Some people have to help out with money.”

When stress piles up, teens often turn to a variety of different outlets, many of which threaten health. Gibson said that stress can lead to eating disorders such as eating too little, eating too much or simply eating the wrong types of food in an attempt to seek comfort. When counseling students, Gibson said she can often trace unhealthy habits back to stress.

“They come in, and they’re in tears,” Gibson said. “They’re fighting with their families all the time. They’re cutting. They’re having suicidal thoughts. There are all kinds of things that present themselves, but when I really talk to the kids, a good amount of the time, it comes back to either being stressed or overwhelmed or having unrealistic expectations in themselves.”

Stress activates the brain’s “fight or flight” response. When in immediate danger, like a close encounter with another car, the body releases stress hormones forcing the body to respond with a fast heartbeat and tense muscles. When under prolonged stress, the stress response is continually activated, leading to more serious consequences – high blood pressure, psychological issues, anxiety, depression and addiction.

Stress also can cause hair loss and weakens the immune system. When one develops long-term stress, the immune system can decline in effectiveness. Carimi said that she sometimes receives colds more often, and when staying up late working on assignments, she can get headaches.

“I noticed if you don’t sleep as much, you get sick a lot easier,” Carmi said. “You wear yourself down to that point where you can’t do anything anymore.”

According to Gibson, finding balance is key when trying to curb the effects of stress. While homework is important, she said participating in enjoyable activities is also necessary.

“They need to be plugged into the school in some kind of an outlet, doing something fun, whether it’s something they love or a sport – something that they can put their passion and heart into,” Gibson said.

For sophomore Parker Mitchell, that something is baseball. As a student in all Pre-AP and AP classes, a member of Spanish Honor Society and Student Council and an involved church member, Mitchell describes his routine as busy. But because he enjoys activities like baseball and going to church, he’s been able to manage his stress.

“It’s not really stressful because most of the stuff, I like to do…” Mitchell said. “I feel like the stuff I’m involved in is making the best of my time. It’s worth it.”

Mitchell said he has taken rigorous courses and joined clubs that will help him get into colleges such as Stanford. He said the stress he does feel is self-applied.

“It’s not really a bad stress,” Mitchell said. “It just motivates me.”

Gibson also said a certain level of stress can be a motivating factor.

“Stress shows that you care,” Gibson said. “So if you are really passionate about [something] enough to the point that it is causing you some anxiety, you are likely to do well.”

To prevent stress from being taken too far, students should prioritize, according to Gibson. Sitting down with parents and discussing what activities are priorities can help eliminate certain pressures.

“Choose your top 10 or your top five that are incredibly important,” Gibson said. “Then the things that really are not a priority – it’s okay to let go of some of that.”

According to Carimi, students need to recognize their limits.

“Don’t try to take on more than you know you can handle,” Carimi said. “It’s good to strive for a lot and take on a lot, but at the same time, you don’t want to extend yourself too far.”