On Mental Hypochondria

The modern world has trained us to live in a constant cycle of self-improvement — sessions with psychologists, coaches, mentors. We’re offered an endless supply of techniques and rituals, sometimes contradicting one another, all promising to make our thoughts clearer, cleaner, more positive. On social media, mental and spiritual “helpers” of every stripe are having a real golden age.

But how much of this do we actually need — and when?

At one stage of my life I worked with a business coach, and for me personally it helped enormously. A lot depends on the person you’re working with. And in general, if we want to “level up” anything — muscles or mind — training with a coach is, without question, more effective than going it alone.

On the other hand, I’ve been noticing a trend you could call mental hypochondria. It’s the situation where people don’t really understand what’s wrong with them, what their goal is, what they’re even asking for — but under the pressure of a multi-billion-dollar info-industry, they start doubting themselves, their own logic, their own feelings. They go hunting for problems that aren’t there, inflate them, and then try to cure them. Often this comes with a significant bill attached. And round it goes again.

But should we really be “treating” ourselves if we don’t feel anything hurting?

Picture the practices of “DIY mental treatment” as a kind of medicine. How healthy is it to take it not just when you’re sick, but all the time?

On top of that, these practices cost time and energy — and mental energy can drain us harder than physical effort does. An overdose of self-improvement can pull our attention and resources away from the things that matter most: our work, our business, our craft, and so on — sinking us into endless self-excavation. It can even become an excuse for falling short elsewhere, because there’s always the line that we were busy with something more important.

For myself I’ve landed on a simple formula: if there’s no real pain — get to work, learn life through practice, read books, play sport, savour the ordinary. If there’s pain — go see a specialist, solve the problem, and come back to your life.

Here’s to self-improvement — but not at the expense of everything else! 😎