- [Narrator] Hi Psych2Goers.
Have you become really interested in self-help
and self-improvement lately?
This pursuit of more and better things,
whether they be better health, clothes, or money
has been normalized,
but sometimes to the detriment of people's wellbeing.
It can almost feel embarrassing to not be hustling
or be improving yourself in any way.
In the end, this mindset and self-improvement culture
can make you feel disempowered,
like you should be someone else.
So here are five time-wasting self-improvement habits
that are harmful to you.
Number one.
Extremely high and unrealistic expectations.
What are some goals that you have set for yourself?
Having goals can be very helpful
since it can help give you something to work towards
and place your energy into.
However, when you're trying to elevate yourself,
you may end up comparing yourself to people you idolize
and whose lives may seem so much more beautiful
and better than yours.
You might create wild expectations
of how you wanna get to where others are
in the same amount of time or in the same way as them
and subconsciously adopt their ideals and expectations.
This is a harmful habit
because you're not focused on yourself
and your enjoyment of life,
but on achieving other people's ideals.
Remember, you don't have to be perfect,
you just need to be yourself.
Number two.
The hustle culture mentality.
Do you tend to overwork yourself?
The idea about how you must never give up
or that you must constantly hustle,
even at the expense of your health
can be very damaging to your wellbeing.
Sometimes, things just don't work out
and you need to give up, but that's not a bad thing.
It can be heartbreaking and tough, but it may be necessary,
especially if it's draining
and taking a toll on your body and mind.
As much as there are people
who have to support themselves and others
by working long hours,
constantly hustling without taking any breaks for yourself
to get your bearings
may only lead to devastating burnout.
Number three.
Putting aesthetics over health.
How often do you use social media?
While it can be a tool
to help you change your life for the better,
it can also distort how you see yourself and others.
Instead of promoting healthy lifestyles and practices,
the media, and especially social media
advertises certain body types as desirable and important.
Women are implored to get dangerous,
unnecessary cosmetic surgery
and men are told to be jacked
and in the gym by any means for those gains,
but our bodies are not trends that we should be ashamed of
and indoctrinated into plucking, plumping, and injecting
for social media likes and strangers validation.
Your desire for your self-improvement
may end up overshadowed by insecurities about your body,
and that's a hard mindset to come out of.
Number four.
Information without application.
How many self-help books and guides
do you have stacked up in your room?
Like many others, you may tell yourself
that you'll start applying the information
once you finish reading all of it,
but there are so many books
and new ones that will keep coming out.
All of these how-tos can be helpful,
but they won't be of any use
if you don't actually apply the things they teach.
As powerful as knowledge is,
applied knowledge is the best kind.
Don't be afraid to implement what you've learned
into the world.
And number five, visualizations without action.
Do you dream about the person you wanna be
or the things you wanna have in your life?
Perhaps you see yourself as a painter or a pilot,
or you wish you'd have a big house or a nice car.
Visualizing the life you want and putting it out there
can be a great way to get yourself hyped and motivated,
especially when you need to tap in
to your willpower reserves.
However, this can become an issue
when you only put it out there
and fantasize about it with nothing in between
to bridge the gap.
As much as you can dream of the best life
you could ever dream of that you deserve,
if it lacks the structure and execution in reality,
it's only a mirage.
Remember that you have to actually do it to get there.
Do you do any of these habits?
Let us know in the comments below.
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The references in studies used in this video
are added in the description below.
Thank you for watching and we'll see you in the next video.