Senior Ronan Benford believes that stress can be increased by comparison between friends. He used to face stress due to the expectations of his parents, but now he holds himself to his own standards.
Ronan Benford, 12
Do your parents have expectations for you?
“When I was younger, parent expectation was a huge stress for me, but as I’ve gotten older their expectations have become mine.”
How often do you compare yourself to those around you? How does this affect you?
“I feel like it increases my stress because if you’re holding yourself to a standard, what was once a goal becomes an expectation when you’re comparing yourself to friends.”
Do you feel the need to hide your stress?
“I think it’s easy to communicate that you’re stressed. You might not really show how stressed you are, but if you have supportive family or friends, it’s really easy to tell them ‘Hey I’m really stressed.’”