Stress is the physical and mental response to demands placed on the body and is caused by our reaction to outside events rather than the events themselves. Common causes of stress in students include exams, deadlines, work-life balance difficulties, and relationship or financial problems. Too much stress can negatively impact people physically through increased heart rate and muscle tension, and mentally by affecting thinking abilities. Managing stress involves self-care, confronting problems directly, finding distractions like exercise or hobbies, expressing emotions, reducing anxiety through breathing exercises, and maintaining a work-life balance.