It’s interesting how some expressions tend to trigger certain reactions or the urge to alter mindsets.

As soon as I post something on this site, one of the tags that are suggested is “self improvement”.

Now, I have discussed that topic, but it keeps coming back to me every now and then.

The first question is: Why does it trigger me? Why do I even bother?

The second question is: Where and in how far is what I am doing self improvement

The third question is: To what degree do I self improve until it reaches a border, and who defines this border?

and finally: What is my definition of self improvement I don’t want to have in my life?

First off: I MYSELF define the border. Or at least I try to.

And here comes #1: It obviously triggers me and I try to avoid it. I think it has to do with a couple of aspects. One aspect is that I detest following influencer led topics and trends, because I think most of it is lifestyle BS or unnecessary time consumption. Yet there are thing that I find very meaningful in terms of working myself forward in my journey of recovery. I should find a way to take what I need and shrug off the rest. So this is the next aspect: I should not bother about the tag “self improvement”, yet I do. I think, coming to the third aspect, is that self improvement as such is facing headwinds from people I tend to follow in podcasts and blogs. But I think I should find my own way to deal with it. And shrug is off if someone gives me nasty comments about my recovery way.

#2 has been answere partly already: I am doing things to get along with my recovery. That includes tips and hacks, reflections, methods, meditations, reframings and whatever else I can utilize to get me forward. If you call it self therapy, self coaching, self improvement is yours to decide. Or in my opinion: Mine to decide. If I think it is fit for helping me get a sane relationship to my life and my ADHD, then I shouldn’t care if it is framed as “self improvement”. All in all, I am doing it for me and nobody else.

Where is the border of self improvement to me (#3), until I think it gets unhealthy or unnecessary? Well, I don’t like “life hacks”, containing superficial crap like “Do these 10 steps to xy”. I need to have the individual feeling that it is a practival benefit for my health and mental health progress. So I guess the boundary is my individual choice and mine alone. And if someone sneers at me for “doing it all wrong”, all I can say, is: If I have the feeling, that running 5km in under 15 minutes is good for me, I will do that. Or omitting supplements, deciding to drink water when I want and eat meat when I have the feeling it is fit. There are no unilversally valid ways or hacks that you need to do. Especially not, if someone on Social Media tells you somehing like “Why does nobody tell you, that…” or “Why is everybody doing … wrong?”

Finally: I think I can summarize the points above into:

• I don’t think I need Social Media to tell me how to deal with my mental and physical health to find the right way.
• I don’t need people to tell me, when and where my decisions are good or bad self improvement.
• It’s an individual choice. If someone has a problem with my way of dealing with it, well, look someplace else. It’s my decicion and my life. And I feel very good with the way things are developing, all ups and downs included.

Until next time: Keep up the faith in yourself and take one step at a time.