I’m tired of reading every self-improvement articles/blogs/listicles and using none of it.

‘How to write articles faster (that people will read)’ –– Yes amazing, I need to write faster. *click*

I read that one.

‘Learn to live with zero regrets’ –– I wish I could live with no regrets. How do I get there?! *click*

I read that one too.

'10 ways to motivate yourself when you're just not feeling it' –– I need that right now! *click*

I read and read and read. Article after article as I scroll through websites filled with these kinds of posts.

The solutions to the problems I related to, like writer's block and imposter syndrome, were just not sticking for some reason. Maybe the solutions were too high-level or just not tangible. Or maybe they seemed a tad ridiculous and I scoffed. Sometimes there were good solutions with actionable steps. I’d bookmark the page. I’d say to myself, ‘This sounds great. I should start doing this.’

But I never actually did anything different.

I had lists and lists of things I needed to start doing and start working on so that I could be better. I was overloaded with ideas and suggestions about fixing ‘this’ bad habit, or ‘that’ unhealthy way of thinking. It was too much. I was overwhelmed. I didn’t change anything because I was so overwhelmed by all the things I ‘should’ be doing.

So I stopped reading those articles. If I had five spare minutes where I could have browsed Pocket or Feedly, or another one of those article tools (and yes, I do still love those tools), I instead decided to focus on tuning into myself.

Did I feel stressed? Was I thirsty? We’re so often rushing around trying to get things done, running from work to home to the gym to wherever that we often don’t take the time to really check in with ourselves. If my check-in with myself and with my body was short, I list off the things I am grateful for.

That’s all. No more spending hours scrolling through posts marking down things that I ‘should be’ doing. I took back the time I had been wasting reading articles that never motivated me to actually change. All they did was make me feel like I had so much that I should be doing. And that just made me feel worse about myself.

So if you find yourself reading endless self-help, self-improvement articles and never changing a thing, try something new. Check in with yourself, remind yourself what you’re grateful for, grab some water, etc.