Stress is “a state of mental or emotional strain or tension resulting from adverse or very demanding circumstances.” Work and school both offer different reasons for stress, and if you’re like many young adults today, then you probably have the stress of both school and work.

The question is, when is enough enough? Is the amount of time, and energy you put into it worth the results? Eight continuous hours or more doing strenuous work on your feet for a degrading minimum wage? Or going above and beyond on your company's latest group project where you did the majority of the work, but someone else takes and receives all the credit?

If you give up at the first sign of stress, are you ready to be successful? Indeed, success is not handed to you. Still, when should you sit down, reflect, and consider what you are gaining and losing due to your job or school? Does what you lose dominate what you gain? Are you missing school opportunities because you must work? Is your health at risk? Are you questioning your monetary income being worth the late nights? Is your work ethic declining because the stress causes you to be so overwhelmed?

If you answered yes to any of the above questions, then this is not normal. Dr. Lynne Tan of Montefiore Medical Center in New York City said, “Stress is a burst of energy, it’s our body telling us what we need to do.”

However, when stress starts interfering with your ability to live a normal life for an extended period, then it is considered dangerous, and the longer the stress lasts, the worse it is for both your mind and body. If you’re feeling fatigued, unable to concentrate, or even irritable for no reason, then you are stressed!

Besides your health, a very important aspect to consider whether enough is enough is if you’re so overwhelmed with stress that your production of work is not up to par with the other quality of your work. This occurs when your to-do list is so excessive that you start to produce careless work. Careless work may not only result in poor grades, but your job may also be put in jeopardy.

The only answer to this issue is prioritizing and time management. When producing your schedule or to-do list, don’t forget to pencil in your me-time and family time. No more neglecting your social life or the vital time you need for just you for a job or school!

Even your superiors who demand these deadlines from you realize that there are other things to do within your life besides surviving; you must live! Living means enjoying life through its stress and obstacles. However, if stress seems like something you just can’t seem to avoid, try this: First, identify what is causing the stress, build strong relationships with people you can rely on, walk away when you’re angry, get help, and finally, rest!