The Season To Be Jolly? December 10, 2010
Posted by alana in Anxiety, Coping Strategies, Depression, Economy.4 comments
This is not a rant about how Christmas has become a commercialized orgy of spending that directly contradicts the spirit of peace and giving that is supposed to imbue the holiday season. Whether they frame it in socioeconomic terms, or as a tension between the secular and religious, most people are at least somewhat aware of these clashing ideologies. I expect readers of this blog have an even more acute political awareness of the class dynamics involved, recognizing that pressure on the working class to “fully enjoy” one of their few significant breaks from daily drudgery means spending as much as they can afford (and more) on decorations, gifts, and feasting, thereby increasing the profits of the elite minority who flaunt their wealth, accept tax cuts, and cut thousands of jobs. It’s nothing new this year, but given the unemployment rate and austerity measures making life even more disproportionately difficult for workers in the worst economy since the Great Depression, the notion of a “season of giving” is severely strained. The immediate economic and social pressures of holiday celebration are stressful enough, but for radicals who are conscious of the broader implications, additional layers of alienation and disillusionment can weigh heavily on us.
Instead of running down statistics on how bad things really are right now, or going through a cultural and historical critique of winter holidays from their pagan roots to today, I’m going to try something a little different. I want to discuss some concrete ways of coping emotionally with these holiday pressures and contradictions. This is something a bit more personal, drawing from my experiences with therapy, but is still very much informed by my politics. I’ve been getting feedback and suggestions from readers, which I deeply appreciate and I do take to heart (even if it does take me a while to process what you’re saying and find a way to address it), and this is an attempt to respond. Please don’t hesitate to let me know if this kind of post is helpful and whether you want to see more like it sometimes; or whether you would rather have seen a more explicitly political, economic, social, or historical analysis along the lines of previous posts. You have my sincere thanks!
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It is widely acknowledged in the mainstream that the holiday season induces extreme anxiety and depression in many people, and a quick search online will bring up plenty of ‘tips’ on how to deal with holiday stress – but they have always rung rather hollow to me. Leaving aside those that want to sell you stress-reducing products and focusing on those that are more earnest, even these lists can leave you feeling pretty hopeless.
Commercials at this time of year are always reminding you how little time there is left to do your shopping, as though all you have to be concerned about spending is your TIME. Many of these coping tips have to do with time management – for example, saying ‘no’ to some of those party invitations to leave more time for yourself. If you’re unemployed or underemployed, these commercials are laughable because you have more “free” time than you’d like, but you certainly won’t be spending it on shopping with no money to spend. Even if you’re working 40-60+ hours per week, there’s no guarantee that you have money for gifts when so many people are supporting families on low-wage jobs and are burdened with medical bills that aren’t covered by insurance, the fallout from the mortgage crisis, or astronomical student loan payments. Tips on coping with financial difficulty are stated simply: “Don’t spend more than you can afford to.” Meanwhile, the vast resources of capitalist culture are bombarding you with exactly the opposite message, and if you fail to join in the gift-giving and merry-making, you’ll be seen as someone who is stingy and isolating yourself as a killjoy scrooge. (more…)
