Quarterlife Comments

As a post-graduate intern at the Center, I've co-facilitated a group for 20-30's for the past year in which the concept of a quarterlife crisis has been the predominant theme amongst the group members. In that time we've processed two engagements which broke off, one proposal, and the interweave of other relationships amongst the members as we forged commonalities and explored our edges. The quarterlife crisis process explores struggles with career choice, marriage, children, the meaning of life, creating an ideal future, recognizing and breaking unwanted patterns in interpersonal relationships, finding self-acceptance, and technology’s effect on self-image and self-worth. As a first generation Iranian American woman in my mid 20s I also recognize the importance in bridging the cultural gap between parents and American youth as part of the quarterlife crisis process. (I feel like I should add a sentence here about how my personal experience in finding a compromise between the two cultures and how that can help other first generation youth AND/OR how it adds to the already existing stress and anxiety of “finding myself” while living through my quarterlife crisis stage). Regardless of each individual’s upbringing, ethnicity, economic and religious differences, group members find comfort in the camaraderie of their lives. Receiving other group members input, support, confidentiality and unbiased opinions creates a unity amongst individuals who were once strangers. (Sogol Simino)