Overwhelmed by Self-Help? Read This

Summary

The article discusses the challenges and benefits of self-help content, emphasizing the importance of managing consumption to avoid overwhelm and ensure effective personal growth.

Abstract

The author acknowledges the abundance of self-help content available online and its potential to serve as a form of therapy for those with anxiety and depression. However, the sheer volume of advice and the pressure to constantly improve can lead to feelings of guilt and confusion. The article suggests a balanced approach to self-help, advocating for mindful consumption, practical application of advice, and focusing on personal relevance. It also stresses the value of professional guidance and fact-checking to navigate the self-help landscape effectively.

Opinions

The author views the proliferation of self-help content on the internet positively, as it fosters open discussions about mental health and personal development.
There is a concern that the self-help industry can become overwhelming and lead to guilt or addiction to self-improvement.
The article suggests that consuming self-help content without applying it can be a form of procrastination.
It is important to engage with self-help strategies that are personally suitable, rather than following trends or generic advice.
The author recommends that readers should seek professional advice or coaching to complement self-help efforts.
There is an emphasis on the need to fact-check and critically evaluate self-help advice, especially before making financial commitments like purchasing courses.
The author invites readers to share their own experiences with self-help and how they have managed any feelings of being overwhelmed.

Dealing with the overwhelming amount of self-improvement content

Recently, I’ve written a piece on a study that found that self-help is as effective as traditional therapy for people with anxiety and depression. This is promising and proves how useful self-help can be. However, I’m hearing quite the opposite around me.

Personally, I think the increase of available self-help content on the internet is great. People are sharing their tips, takes, and personal experiences with mental illness. But not only that, there’s advice on almost every aspect of life out there. The stigmas around mental illness and personal issues are fading away and people have, in fact, access to a free form of therapy. All of these are things to be very happy about.

However, not everyone seems to view it that way, understandably so. Self-help has become a little controversial.

Being exposed to so many headlines claiming to help you master various aspects of life can get overwhelming. And not reading them can make you feel like you’re missing out on opportunities to improve yourself, resulting in feelings of guilt. Besides that, there are so many people out there claiming to know the secret to a better life, that it becomes hard to know what advice to follow — there’s no doubt people have the right intentions, but unfortunately, they don’t always get it right. Self-improvement can even become addicting, some aren’t able to give themselves a break (from either consuming self-help content or improving themselves).

Chances are a lot of people will relate to some element of the above.

So how do you benefit from the positive aspects of self-help, while avoiding getting overwhelmed and misinformed?

A therapist will never bombard you with 50 tips,10 personal experiences, and 5 new exercises in one hour. So be aware of how much content you consume. Even reduce the overflow of self-help headlines by using the “not-interested” function (which most social media platforms have) once in a while.

Secondly, you don’t go to therapy just to proceed using none of the advice that’s been given to you. You don’t buy medicine just to proceed not to use them (well I guess it happens sometimes, but hear me out). If you’re familiar with reading a lot about self-help but never really doing anything with it, you’ll realize it’s just another way of procrastinating. If you’re reading self-help content with the intention of actually improving something in some aspect of your life, try implementing it in some way before moving on to the next one. Take things step-by-step. Even just write it down or talk it over with someone, so you’ve at least done more than just surface-level processing.

However, it’s important to only engage in the things that will work for you. If you’re not a morning person and know you don’t do well on less sleep, don’t feel pressured to try waking up at 5 am and do a bunch of stuff that will lead to a successful life — according to all rich influencers. This is described really well by Kailey Waal in her article about morning routines.

Adding to the above, remind yourself that it’s not necessary to explore self-improvement content in aspects of life you’re not interested in. If you have a certain problem in your life (if you struggle with anxiety for example), it’s completely fine to read a lot about the topic. However, also reading advice on OCD, PTSD, Depression, Productivity, Dieting, and Gardening will quickly become too much. Choose your scope and focus on what you want to improve. Alternatively, dive deep into what you need and take the rest with a grain of salt. Missing out on that gardening article doesn’t make you any less of a gardener.

Self-help is a form of low-intensity treatment and works best if you work with someone who functions as a coach or coordinator, even if it’s just to make a step-by-step plan. Thus, I’d advise anyone who’s serious about making a significant change in any aspect of their life to talk with someone about it (even just once).

Last but not least, it’s important to fact-check what you’re reading. This adds to the idea of not just surface-level processing what you read but is also important because you don’t want to misinform yourself. Do your own (additional) research about what you’re reading and check someone’s credentials before buying their online course — although people who share their personal experience with certain things can also provide very valuable insights, just make sure you know what you’re getting yourself into.

I’d love to hear about my readers’ experiences with self-help. Have you ever gotten overwhelmed by it? How have you dealt with this?

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