cover image Welcome to the United States of Anxiety: Observations from a Reforming Neurotic

Welcome to the United States of Anxiety: Observations from a Reforming Neurotic

Jen Lancaster. Little A, $24.95 (288p) ISBN 978-1-5420-0794-8

Lancaster (Here I Go Again) humorously considers the role of anxiety in American life in a delightful and perceptive book packed with tips on how to relax. Lancaster uses “Maslow’s Hierarchy”—a theory developed by mid-20th-century psychologist Abraham Maslow that identifies critical human needs—as a framework for considering how people’s needs (physiological, safety, social, esteem, self-actualization) are being met today. Lives are more stressful than ever, Lancaster writes, adding: “I’d give anything to go back to the innocence and ease of my 1970s childhood, despite growing up in the golden age of serial killers.” The author shows how distractions (TV, social media) change one’s sense of need and result in stress. The need for shelter, for example, is manipulated by home renovation shows that make one’s own home feel inadequate; the need for financial security is impacted by social media platforms that encourage people to gawk at other people’s wealth; and the need for friendship has been upended by a desire to get likes rather than to be liked. Lancaster recommends forgetting the noise and focusing on what genuinely makes one happy, such as developing a hobby and accepting oneself, flaws and all. Lancaster is very funny, and her insightful, always entertaining critique may motivate readers to back away from social media, if only a little bit. (Sept.)