As a high school student myself, I endure a lot of stress on a daily basis due to class work, social life, sleep and trying to manage all of those together in a way that works. Sometimes, it gets too hard to handle, and on more than one occasion, I've seen students take the wrong path because they are unable to control their stressful outcome or response. This is why it's vital to school your reaction when your body begins to respond to stress.

First, let's define it. Stress means "a state of mental or emotional strain or tension resulting from adverse or very demanding circumstances," eliciting strong feelings, like anxiety. It's a physical response that mentally puts you in a state of awareness. Like when you're working on a last- minute assignment, you can expect a racing heart and boost of energy fueled by the brain's release of adrenaline, cortisol and norepinephrine. You may focus better, but long-term, this is destructive for your mental health. Blood flow is routed mostly to the muscles we need to "flee" or "fight." This stuns our thinking, which is why you may lash out at your loved ones, even when rationally, you know you're wrong. Long periods of stress are terrible because of high cortisol rates, resulting in high blood pressure and libido.

So what can you do to battle your body's physical response to stress? Take control of your mind, emotions and behavior.

When you feel your "fight" instinct kick in, your body will feel agitated as anger pours in. This is due to our natural predator instinct to fight or be aggressive. To battle this reaction, go to a quiet place and suppress your anger. Even if you cannot leave the situation, keep your temper under control. It's better to practice restraint and then unleash that bottled emotion later, in a safe environment by yourself than it is to lash out at someone.

When your "flight" instinct boots up, your brain is more so in a state of fear and trying to protect you from dangerous situations. To eliminate the negative effects of this reaction, force yourself to face your circumstances as are. This will time and practice as you become more comfortable with expressing yourself, but the best thing you can do to take the first step in the right direction is stay put.

When your last instinct, the "freeze up" comes into play, this is because your body is entering state of dysregulation, impairing the body's metabolic tasks. Your energy thrums under your nervous system, hence your stunned response yet active thoughts which prevent you from thinking straight. You'll feel short of breath and anxious. Battle this response by taking deep breaths in through your nose and out through your mouth, holding the air in your stomach for a short period of time to regulate your heartbeat into a normal pace.

The instincts I find myself falling into are often "fight" or "flight." Either I become overwhelmed with anger which leads to procrastination, causing more stress in the long run as the task is left unattended. This takes overs other aspects of my life. But since I've focused on releasing the negative energy out of my body by taking short breaks to clear my mind, it's helped to relieve my stress. Soothing music also helps to calm nerves. Understanding how you react to stress and stressful situations can play a big role in helping reach a positive potential and help you handle the situation with ease. Taking the time to understand your body and mind will definitely help prepare you to have a better control over how you react to the stress at hand.