It’s no secret; college students are stressed out.

There’s a lot of pressure put on us, and there’s a lot of pressure we put on ourselves, to excel in classes, find jobs soon after graduation, pay our bills and loans quickly and dedicate whatever time we have left to having some semblance of a social life.

This is why it’s so important to set time aside for yourself.

We understand that you have a lot to do, but if you keep working relentlessly without taking some kind of a break every now and then, you will break down mentally, physically or both.

Every one of us in the editorial board knows how it feels to have a breakdown after a long week of back to back work and chaos, and we all know the value of a relaxing break from it all.

While we don’t recommend that you stop going to classes, doing homework and working jobs to get by, what we can recommend is taking a break.

Figure out what it is you need to do to relax, and don’t feel guilty about doing it.

Even if you aren’t doing work or studying, you’re still cultivating happy mental and physical health, and that always takes precedence.

For some people, scrolling through Twitter or Facebook is calming; for others, sitting down with a good book at the Java B&B is a good way to let off some steam.

That brings us to another point: communication.

If you need to take a break, make sure to let important people in your life know.

Text your friends and colleagues to inform them that you won’t be available for a couple hours. You don’t have to tell them you’re taking a well-deserved nap or soaking in a bubble bath—just let them know you need a moment to breathe.

Instead of breaking each other down, we at The Daily Eastern News believe students try to build each other up.

We all know how it feels to be overwhelmed, so most of the time, we are empathetic and understanding of your own individual struggles because odds are, we have had the same kinds of things happen to us, too.

Professors, as long as they’re kept in the loop, are also usually compassionate.

But communication is completely necessary.

Without this communication, people are left in the dark; animosity grows and anxiety builds up, sometimes for both parties, but usually just for you.

If someone is being a jerk about it, remind yourself this: your mental and physical health is always more important.

If it comes down to preventing yourself from having a breakdown or completing an assignment on time, email your professor and explain why you need more time.

An important takeaway from this is the knowledge that you are worth it; you’re doing just fine.

We understand how you feel; someday, things will get better.

In the meantime, take a break.