Over the years the stress levels among college students has been, according to reports, on the rise. In fact stress in general has been on the rise so this is an understandable phenomenon. Still we need to do all we can to help younger folk calm down and not take the pressures of life and college life too harshly, as prolonged stress and anxiety could seriously damage their health.

Stress is the body's natural reaction to how it perceives various situations. Everybody behaves differently under various stressful situations and what may be extremely stressful for one might not be for another. What is important is that if you can help and offer advice then do so and don't delay. Stress levels among college students and anxiety should be taken very seriously.

Here are some common problems and causes of stress in college:

• Demand for excellency.
• Loneliness. First time to be alone without family.
• Social and peer pressures.
• Money problems and financial responsibility.
• Sexuality and sexual identity.
• Low self esteem.

Sometimes these feelings can become totally overwhelming and may even go as far as resulting in full blown depression, serious anxiety or eating disorders. There are also unfortunately high statistics of suicide rates among teenagers under stress. Nevertheless there is definitely something you can do to help, and a listening ear along with an open heart can do wonders to a young teenager.

The first thing to do is to make friends with him. (yes, even if it happens to be your son or daughter). Once trust has been established then it becomes much easier for the young teen to open up to you. Try not to be judgmental. If you see that the situation is not something that you are able or comfortable in helping with then make sure to get professional help.

This is not something to be ashamed of and if the person you are trying to help will not cooperate with getting professional help then you should still consult with a pro and let them know what's going on. They can give you excellent ideas on how to deal with your particular story.

A few tips that you can give to reduce stress levels among college students are:

• Keep organized.
• Get to class on time.
• Get involved with activities on the campus.
• Make friends and healthy relationships.
• Talk out your problems with trustworthy friends or teachers.
• Don't get behind in your homework.

Further tips can be found online and there are very good resources where you can learn just about everything to do with stress and anxiety. As a matter of fact I sincerely recommend learning these tips as you never know when you might need to help someone (or even yourself). Look at it like First Aid for your mental well being. It's a great advantage to have this kind of knowledge.