A big source of stress is parents, telling us we can do anything when, in reality, we know we can’t.

“Flawless performance is always expected. It seems that it is never good enough for us to be who we really are. We are constantly being pressured to do more and be the best, and pressure like this can really set us off.

I feel like if I were a mountain, my parents would expect me to be at the top so I could rule it. It’s like I’m supposed to rush to become the president of the world or the scientist who discovers a cure for cancer.

There is no room for “just hanging out” time anymore, because every moment of the day is so focused on reaching goals and meeting their expectations. There’s no time to just chill. My parents think that every minute I need to be doing something. Don’t be late for work, did you call Grandma, your room is a mess, homework comes before anything, if you want to use the car you have to pick up your little sister from her friend’s house, did you write the thank you notes, you need to rewrite that essay so you can at least try to get into a good college, don’t do drugs, hurry or you’ll never get to work on time.

I can’t breathe!