Self Development might be a harmful trend.

I think many of us, one way or another, have encountered this topic of self-improvement. I, for one, for sure have become really interested in improving myself and I wanted to discuss some potentially harmful effects of this trend.

First of all, the desire to improve your life, become healthier, succeed at your work, maintain social relationships, and be happy is natural to human beings. According to the Maslow Pyramid of Needs or Hierarchy of Needs, there are 5 stages starting from “Survival” — basic and psychological needs like shelter, safety, food, and then social needs like love and belonging. Once these are satisfied, we long for Self-Fulfillment through Esteem and Self-Actualization. You are definitely not alone in this quest for living well and being a better person. Jean Jacques Rousseau, a modern French philosopher believed and argued that people are by nature, inherently, good and we strive for goodness. But we also want to be good because it is socially and morally acceptable. From Abrahamic religions to ancient Greek philosophers to Industrialization, Capitalism, and Socialism — the notion of productivity and self-improvement were paramount to progress and thus good life, higher standards of living, and happiness. To strive for better is ingrained in our minds

Scientifically, when we are feeling productive or accomplish our goals, we feel happy because of our brain release dopamine. It is a short-lived hormone of happiness.

Paradoxically, in our strive to be more productive and improve ourselves, we develop anxiety, stress, deprive ourselves of sleep and go through an emotional roller-coaster. These things are exacerbated by media and industry taking advantage of this innate desire to improve ourselves and selling their products as something that is meant to “transform” our lives and make us immediately healthier, happier, or more productive.

There are entire industries that support these trends and grab cash. According to the Global Wellness Institute, the global health and wellness industry is now worth $4.2 trillion. For example, iHerb is a popular e-commerce store specializing in healthy and natural products like vitamins, organic soaps, skincare, and more. Amazon is #1 channel for skincare and supplements.

Diets have always been popular but the emergence of new “healthy diets” like Keto or Whole30 challenge the perception and attitudes toward dieting. Instead of perceiving it as a weight-loss technique, now many people adopt this as a lifestyle change.

Another example is the popularity of intermittent fasting. While there are many research studies on intermittent fasting, who is to say whether they were properly statistically designed? Very often there are confounding or lurking variables or simply not enough participants or short-term research, which is not enough to make a sound conclusion or causality. Take a look below how the “intermittent fasting” topic became very trendy in recent years.

I am not saying that one is better than another. My point is that we need to conduct careful research and consult with doctors before we jump on a new trendy diet, supplements, or products. We need to be responsible and careful when confronted by all these emerging trends in self-care and improvement.

We need to look at our values and goals first. Do what brings you joy and moves you closer to your dreams and goals, but at no peril for your physical and mental health. Don’t blindly follow “healthy” or “natural” labels. Remember when orange juice and cereal were a popular choice for breakfast and were advertised as healthy? Even though they are full of sugar, processed and fast carbs? Now, it is the era of acai smoothie bowls, avocado toasts, and dairy-free, gluten-free superfoods that charge you a premium $$$.

Living in a huge megapolis city, Toronto, and being surrounded by young and energetic hustlers all day, I have developed a FOMO. Fear of missing out. And many Millenials are “unofficially” suffering from it. Afraid of missing out on certain events, movies, and worst of all, comparing myself to others, I was always questioning myself “Am I enough”, much like Michelle Obama, and many other people out there. I don’t think this is a problem of self-esteem. I think this comes from the current culture, trends, and social media.

Whole industries, media outlets, social media channels — everyone and everywhere is hustling and running around. In this fast-paced rhythm of life, it is easy to feel like you are not doing enough, missing out on something. Our parents didn’t have this at such a scale. Their world was connected to smaller communities around similar values, characteristics, and geographical regions. Millennials and Generation Z and younger — we grew up connected to the entire world through the internet and then rise of social media. Cal Newport in his Digital Minimalism talked about the “social media paradox”: Social media makes you feel both connected and lonely, happy and sad.

If you go on Instagram and scroll your feed, chances are 1 out of 5 posts will be a Sponsored content — an advertisement. Isn’t that crazy? Being bombarded just like that? These ads are everywhere: Facebook, Google, Youtube, Amazon, LinkedIn. Every time I watch Youtube, a LinkedIn ad with their report pops up! Or some new SaaS product for productivity, CRM or project management, or a website builder or meditation app!

Meditation is proven to help practice self-awareness, reduce anxiety, and improve focus. But how much more likely is buying an App subscription to help that? Or wearables like FitBit watches to track our fitness activity? Technology is driving this self-care and wellness industry forward offering more personalized engagement between the user and the platform. According to MarketWatch statistics, U.S. consumers spent $32 million on self-care mobile apps (Calm, 10% Happier, Headspace etc) in both the Apple Store and Google Play in the first quarter of 2018, up 40% YoY. In 2018, Headspace had around 40 million downloads, with well over one million paid subscribers.

Do you see it? These are billion-dollar industries. Health and Fitness market alone captures over $100B in the U.S. New brands and e-commerce retails continuously enter this attractive marketplace offering fitness clothing, athleisure, productivity apps, meditation pillows, skincare, and more. On the one hand, that is great — people are finally taking care of their bodies and health. But on the other, it is a business looking to make profit.

Going back to my real point. All these products, images, social media influencers — it is overwhelming. Staying on top of your fitness goals, healthy diets, learning new skills and languages, taking online courses, and also investing time into your relationships — it takes a big toll on our mental health. That is why meditation and therapy are popular now. It is hard to balance it all. One day we might be super productive: waking up early, getting through our office jobs, then hitting the gym, meal prepping, taking an online course on AI or Blockchain, and then going into your self-care night routine. The second day we lie in our beds, order Uber Eats and binge on Netflix. That seems to be the picture of a perfect successful human today. But at what cost? And what for? These are the questions we need to ask ourselves before someone comes to us with their million-dollar business idea or start-up project, demanding our precious time. I am a curious and passionate person by nature. I do love learning and researching. But I made the mistake of saying “Yes” too much, leading to burnout and then slacking on some projects or getting overwhelmed and anxious and not being able to contribute 100% of me.

• Life Coaches, Productivity Gurus offer masterclasses, online webinars, and 1–1 sessions. Motivation speakers and personal coaches capture $2 billion in the US (source);
• New self-help books are gaining popularity with Millenials and Gen Z. Booknet Canada reported a 27% increase between 2016 and 2017 of the Self-Help/Personal Growth category (source)

Define what success means to you. Don’t look at conventional trendy images of success. Don’t listen to MLM salespeople who cry out loud about quitting their 9–5 job and achieving financial freedom, success, and all. Coaching industry is loosely regulated and incompetence is a common complaint. Nowadays, anyone can call themselves a life coach. Names like Tim Ferris, Brandon Buchard, Tony Robbins, and more are buzzing around conversations and self-proclaimed coaches with online degrees are aggressively selling their services on Instagram and other platforms. Now is it easier than ever to reach your ideal customer using tailored Ads. So they target the most vulnerable person who has been googling “Self-Help” and “Productivity tips”.

Listen to your inner voice. In fact, I’ll mention Cal Newport again, because in one of his chapters he told a story about Lincoln and his presidency during the tumultuous Civil war in America. He would often leave the White House and escape into his cottage at the Soldiers Home (Anderson cottage) and spent his time in solitude. Away from other people’s inputs and interventions in his creative thought process. That is where the Gettysburg Address was born [famous American speech]. Practicing solitude, not isolation, is parallel to meditation. It is not the same but it can help us in many ways to “Detox” [another trendy buzz-word] from the noises of the outer world. You shouldn’t shut the word completely, but be selective with what comes in your way and what you are choosing to listen, follow, buy-in. Make sure to clearly identify your values and write them down in your journal.

#self-care became a new lifestyle philosophy. It was hashtagged 21.3 million times on Instagram. However, self-care in different terms and forms was prevalent in society even before it picked up in 2016. While it still stands for care for your health, mind, physiological needs, this new decade it resurged in a more self-indulgent way aided by products and brands that facilitate this experience. This has led to further commodification of self-care. This “treat yourself” mentality contradicts hard-working success images that are also built in our work lives. On the other side of the spectrum, there are minimalist, sustainable, and mindfulness movements that preach conscious shopping, sustainability, and self-awareness.

This marketing of self-care items is problematic because it elicits certain type of thinking that self-care is accessible and experienced through buying stuff. Pictures of sheet masks and bath bombs on Instagram trick your mind into buying them, in order to validate this whole self-care experience. That is where the harm comes in. Retailers use to market their products and use this self-care term in a way that makes people feel they need something external to care for themselves. I think it works because they don’t sell actual products or its function like: “make your bath water fizzy with a bath bomb” but rather sell on the whole experience: “relax and unwind in a hot aromatherapy bath”. After all, you don’t need a salt lamp to practice meditation. You don’t need a fancy gym to become more fit.

To wrap up, I believe that self-improvement is a noble and natural inclination of Homo Sapiens — it is what brought us to the top of the food chain if anything! However, in our daily lives, we need to be more selective with our time and curate not just our Instagram feeds but our minds with what type of content comes in. And take it slow, take it easy. If you are interested in self-improvement — you are in a marathon, my friend, not a sprint, so pace yourself.

Take care.