In an ordinary year, holiday angst is very real: Anxiety, depression and stress are all known to spike between Thanksgiving and the year’s end, as social engagements, travel and bills for holiday gifts simultaneously surge. Yet 2020 has been far from ordinary, so we must expect that this holiday season will be unusual.
This year has been characterized by extremes. Health care faced a crisis of epic and dangerous proportions, yet medical innovation is at an all-time high. Financial markets experienced both staggering losses and colossal gains. As for the election … does that even need to be explained? Along these lines, when it comes to our emotions this holiday season, we must expect emotional polarization: We will simultaneously feel better and worse than ever.