I have always felt a sense of patronization surrounding mental health awareness and self-care culture. People receive advice from peers, mentors and strangers on the internet to prioritize their mental health by taking breaks and getting more sleep. While the strategies are undoubtedly helpful, I cannot help but ponder over their practicality. As February moves into full swing, people increasingly abandon countless hopeful New Year’s resolutions to improve their well-being. During exam season, I often study into ungodly hours of the night. Outside of academics, my peers jump into a myriad of extracurriculars regardless of their workloads, leaving little room for breaks. With this cycle of incessant productivity driving our everyday lives, people are only rewarded with the privilege of practicing self-care after forcefully neglecting their needs for a chance at a comfortable life.
The burden of self-care affects more than students — the United States is facing a mental health crisis, with an alarming increase in the proportion of individuals facing symptoms of depression and anxiety since 2000. This crisis disproportionally affects low-income individuals who often lack the time and resources to prioritize their mental health. President Donald Trump’s recent executive order to withdraw from the World Health Organization jeopardizes access to mental health initiatives for these communities. It is disturbing that the groups most susceptible to mental health issues — students and the working class — have the fewest resources to relieve their struggles.
Capitalism is the root cause of mental health discrepancies between social classes, with those most exploited by capitalism also most affected by the mental health crisis. Workers face increasing income inequality and exploitative workplace practices while simultaneously being pressured to chase constant productivity. The U.S. capitalist system must undergo significant structural reform to address the root of mental struggles and solve the nation’s collective mental health crisis, beginning with decentering productivity at all levels of the workforce. Without reform, the mental health crisis will persist despite efforts to promote self-care.
Productivity drives capitalism. Demanding expectations burden employees, causing them to work overtime and spend less time with loved ones. Students, in particular, learn that nonstop productivity is the key to success and consequently spend endless time pursuing rigorous course loads and resume boosters. We do so in the hope that our efforts will pay off one day, whether that be through a promotion at work or a better job. The endless drive for productivity, characterized by internalized capitalism, is damaging yet inescapable — we carry the notion that prioritizing mental health over work will cause us to fall behind. Thus, individuals work low-paying jobs and long hours to showcase their productivity to future employers, destroying their mental health in the process. Indeed, research shows that increased work demands are associated with higher rates of depression and anxiety.
This mindset ultimately allows corporations to take advantage of workers. After all, major companies’ primary motivation is profit. Companies utilize eager cohorts of soon-to-be graduates competing for unpaid internships to receive great payoffs from workers for less cost. Students at Emory University and beyond desperately apply for internships during the spring, as these opportunities are often the key to even greater summer opportunities. Further, as programs like Emory’s Pathways Internship Funding seek to provide financial assistance for students with unpaid positions, corporations evade the financial burden. Companies know that applicants will lend their time and energy without pay in hopes of marketing their own productivity. Society continues to instill a mindset of nonstop productivity in our current and future working class to continue reaping the benefits of burnout. As a side effect, future workers are further conditioned to believe that exploitative practices are the norm. If the cycle continues, society will face an alarmingly overworked and depressed pool of individuals in which only a select few will receive adequate compensation. Financial stress and the pressures of productivity amplify the risk of developing mental disorders for these individuals. Further, the U.S. healthcare system is undoubtedly profit-driven — the average cost of professional therapy for those without health insurance can reach over $100 per session. Regardless of how much society promotes mental health awareness, the mental health crisis will not subside until the cost of receiving help decreases.
If corporations continue to exploit the well-being of their employees, the mental health crisis will inevitably permeate student populations as already burnt-out individuals, such as Emory students, enter the workforce. It is becoming increasingly clear that corporations must dismantle their exploitative structures on a massive scale. Companies must implement practices that promote employees’ success and well-being through higher wages, shorter work days and paid time off. These demands do not exclude Emory, whose yearly stipends for Ph.D. students fall below Atlanta’s cost of living. In response, EmoryUnite!, Emory’s graduate student-worker union, is fighting for higher wages, greater health benefits and more labor rights. With these reforms, individuals will be relieved of some workplace-related stressors, dismantle their internalized sense of capitalism and have the resources to seek out mental health services. Ultimately, the benefits will reach students, and as they prepare to enter the workforce, they can also begin unlearning their emotional pressures.
As students ultimately graduate and begin entry-level positions, we must advocate for improved conditions and a workplace that prioritizes well-being. While the spring semester and never-ending stream of application deadlines may test many New Year’s resolutions to improve mental well-being, we must remember that we are not alone — the best way to challenge capitalism is through community.
Contact Kristen Seo at kristen.seo@emory.edu
Kristen Seo (she/her) (28C) is from Cumming, Georgia, and majoring in Political Science and currently deciding on a double-major. In her free time, she likes journaling, listening to music, and playing sudoku.
