Going back to school can be stressful enough in itself. But as the school year gets underway, you might find it getting harder and harder to balance academics, socializing, extra-curriculars and sleep. You're not alone. Everyone goes through an overwhelming period in their school life, and some even burnout, completely losing the energy to do any of their work. Here's our best advice on how to avoid back-to-school burnout, so you can thrive this year:

Set Limits

Especially on extra-curriculars. While it may be tempting to join All The Clubs (and sports and electives), especially ones you think would look good for college, this is the fastest way to run out of time to do homework and hang with your besties. Choose the ones you like best, and try to limit yourself to less than four. When midterms come around, you'll be thankful you have time to study.

Learn To Say No

School isn't the only thing demanding your attention. Let's say your bestie wants to go to a concert three hours away, but you need to do a group project that day. Instead of accepting because you don't want to let your bud down, be honest with her and say "no" to going. This doesn't mean you can never say yes to hanging out, but make sure you know how to put the brakes on.

Put Schoolwork First

It can be easy (and tempting) to let a homework assignment or two slide. Ten points don't affect your grade very much. But when it comes time to take tests on that material, your grades will be impacted a lot more than if you'd done the homework. While it might seem tedious, making schoolwork a priority over extra-curriculars and socializing will help you get ahead when it comes time to apply for college.

Find a Group To Lean On

Be it your girl squad, your fam, your awesome dance teammates, your coworkers, your third period English class—basically, wherever you find support—leaning on other people will help you get through the more overwhelming periods in school. Sometimes, you don't even realize you've got too much on your plate until someone else points it out. It's great to have one or more people who you can depend on to remind you when you need a break.

Don't Pretend

Too often, tweens and teens are pushed to pretend that they're doing fine when they aren't. If you're feeling overwhelmed, need help or just need someone to talk to, opening up about it isn't a weakness. Confiding in someone you trust can help you figure things out yourself—and it's a great stress reliever to get it all out. Remember, your peers are going through the same thing, even if it might not look like it.

How do you deal with school stress? Share your experience in the comments below!