We have all been there: buying a new self-help book with the promise of becoming more disciplined, productive or emotionally aware, only to leave it untouched on the bookshelf. Why does this happen? In an interview with HT Lifestyle, Saikishore, a clinical psychologist at Aster Whitefield Hospital, Bangalore, explains the behaviour behind our growing collection of unread self-help books.
Rather than trying to read a whole book or change one’s life, it is necessary to just read several pages and find something practical to do. Another factor is the pressure of expectations. When individuals believe that a single book should transform their lives, they may approach self-improvement with an all-or-nothing mindset. The expectation to understand everything, follow every recommendation, and achieve rapid results can make the process feel overwhelming . When there are too many choices or too little time, postponing the task may feel easier than beginning imperfectly. The solution is not necessarily to stop buying self-help books, but to change the way we engage with them. Instead of aiming to finish an entire book or transform every aspect of life at once, start with a few pages. Identify one idea that feels relevant and translate it into a small, realistic action.
The recommendation would be to rethink one’s approach to self-help books rather than giving up on them, according to Dr Saikishore.
