With the school year quickly coming to a close, stress levels are at an all time high. Final exams, five-page papers and the dreaded group project are being crammed into one or two weeks, determining our GPA for years to come. All of this pressure leads to copious amounts of anxiety and distress. We need to listen to our bodies and really evaluate what is going on inside so that we don't completely bottom out. With the steady rise in suicide rates from 1999 to now, this is a crucial week to make sure that the stress of finals week turns into nothing significant.

According to CNN, in 2014, "13 people out of every 100,000 took their own lives, compared to 10.5 per 100,000 in 1999." An increase of 2.5 people in the past 15 years may not seem like a big difference, but there seems to be no sign of this number decreasing at all. If anything, the rate of suicides is picking up in the more recent years, leading to a 2 percent increase of suicide each year. There is more pressure than ever for students to do well in school, and these higher expectations may be causing this incline in suicide.

One of the leading causes of suicide is coming from the antidepressants that are prescribed to try to prevent suicide and bad thoughts. It is claimed that these antidepressants may be increasing the risk of suicide in children. It is always a good idea to get help when you or someone you know is having worrying thoughts, but it is scary to hear that the thing that should be helping us may be putting us at an even bigger risk.

Over this next week of school, make sure to take care of yourself and don't let the pressure of maintaining a certain GPA put you at risk. Remember that your own health always comes before something as superficial as grades. If you feel you are struggling, please don't be afraid to get help. Good luck with finals, and when you find yourself having a mental breakdown, just know you are not alone and there are ways to combat the stress.

Here are some tips to try if you are feeling stressed out:

1. Count backwards from 10 taking deep inhales/exhales on each number.

2. Pet an animal. Animals increase endorphins and can drastically reduce stress.

3. Eat some chocolate. Chocolate will make you feel good and forget about your worries.

4. Exercise. This is another way to release those feel good endorphins and give yourself a much needed study break.

5. Be prepared. Don't put off the studying until the night before or the morning of so that you are feeling well rested and knowledgeable.

6. Don't worry about it. This is not the end of the world, and whatever happens, happens.