Feeling educated, supported and entertained - a review of Welcome to the United States of Anxiety by Jen Lancaster

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On to the review -  It's the last day of September, so one more post for self care month.  Jen Lancaster is a hilarious author. I read her book Such a Pretty Fat and completely laughed out loud.  So, when I happened to see this book, Welcome to the United States of Anxiety, as a free selection for the month for my Amazon Prime membership, it was an easy pick. I actually don't read many of these free books just because they are digital and I'm just not a digital kind of gal but the title got my attention so I gave it a chance. It  informative and educational, supportive and entertaining all at the same time.

Lancaster formats her book based off of Maslow's hierarchy of needs.  I'm a social worker by nature so this theory is my go-to in explaining human behavior.  Seriously, ask my friends and family. I actually mention it quite frequently.  Maybe it's the only theory I remember from school or maybe I believe that strongly in it ... Saul McLeod writes in the article "Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs" on Simply Psychology website, "From the bottom of the hierarchy upwards, the needs are: physiological, safety, love and belonging, esteem, and self-actualization."  You must meet needs in one level before being able to focus on the next.  Lancaster takes this to a whole new level in her book. She relates modern day focuses/issues to this hierarchy, such as weight loss/diets, fashion trends, social media, political unrest, violence in schools, etc.  I wonder if Maslow ever predicted that some of these things could relate to our physiological or safety needs?

Lancaster writes about how despite living in a relatively safe time, we are experiencing all time high levels of anxiety.  Lancaster provides a ton of data and facts to back up her claims.  This data made me think about how anxiety is driven by so much of what is happening in our world without us even realizing it.  It unsettled me to think about the influence that things like social media have over us, I've only ever recognized their social influence.

One of the greatest points Lancaster makes is the value of social connection, that sense of belongingness.  I was telling my sister about this book and she right away mentioned social media as a source of so much anxiety.  Belongingness, or maybe better said fitting in, matters as much as I wish I could say it didn't.  I'm not one to strive to fit in, but that feeling of acceptance, of mattering to others, of having some commonalities does make a difference. 

"Regardless of size, shape, race, religion, sexuality, political affiliation, or any other thing society uses to set us apart, we all deserve respect and common courtesy.  Social media makes achieving that ideal more difficult.  The internet is just one big venue for anyone to say anything to anybody - without personal consequences."

Quote from Welcome to the United States of Anxiety by Jen Lancaster, pg 52 

I loved this quote.  We each have a powerful role in perpetuating others' anxiety.  We can choose our words carefully. We can conciously evaluate how what we may say may affect someone else.  We can apologize. Maybe we have some superpowers called kindness and empathy.  

Lancaster also mentions generations in her book.  I often say I feel like I was born in the wrong generation.   A quick Google led me to this article by CNN describing the generations. The article describes six generations:  "the Greatest Generation (or GI Generation), the Silent Generation, baby boomers, Generation X, millenials and Generation Z.  By defintion, I'm a millenial.  Lancaster references millenials in her book quite a bit.  My quick Google search also showed me that there are so many articles about characteristics of generations and interactions between generations.  I think I want to research more about generations to figure out what does this predict about me and my cohorts.  What generation are you and do you fit the description of your generation?  Lancaster's comparison of her childhood to the upbringing of children today was quite interesting as well - I think I've heard some of the same conversations within the walls of my own home. 

Back to the book.  Lancaster is hilarious.  I will admit that this is a completely different style than my other self care books.  Be prepared for sarcasm, crass humor and some colorful language.  But also be ready to laugh at the same time you are sitting there thinking, "Huh. That explains a lot." Also, you seriously need to read the footnotes which is something I rarely do when I read a book.  Lancaster may be very legit footnotes and other times just a sarcastic remark that will bring a smile to your face. 

This right here.  This is a quote Lancaster writes.  I keep reading it over and over.  It reminds me of my favorite part of Lysa Terkeurst's book Uninvited where she has a complete narrative in her mind about how much a lady at the gym dislikes her.  Come to find out, it's not the case at all. She just got all hyped up and really believed this narrative.  I think Lancaster refers to that social norm we were taught in, like, kindergarten - if you don't have something nice to say, don't say anything at all.  But, maybe more than that, I need to check myself and see what narrative I am creating that maybe doesn't exist at all.  Maybe if I take the time to listen, be present and empathize, I will learn so much more.

By the way, I know I mentioned earlier in this review that I wasn't a fan of digital books. I must say, though, I really liked the highlight function and how easy it was to carry this Kindle Fire with me. I even loved how the "pages" look as though they are turning when you swipe.  It was kind of fun.  I gifted this tablet to my husband but may borrow for a bit longer (shh, don't tell him).

Reading this book supports my mission to spread kindness.  Lancaster draws some pretty firm lines about kindness.  She takes on some bold topics that I don't know if I'd be comfortable taking on, but she does so with a focus on how we can make simple changes to improve things for the better.  Maybe I should pick a theme for October, something like suspense or spooky since October is Halloween.  Have any suggestions for me on some books to try for October?

To purchase your copy of Welcome to the United States of Anxiety click below. I also linked Such a Pretty Fat because it was funny too. You can click here for a 30 day Amazon Prime trial which is how I got my free copy of this book.  I am an Amazon associate and may make a small amount from any purchase or trial. Thanks