Adding more books to your reading list this year? He does bookmaxxing. Do you include high fiber foods in your diet? That is fibermaxxing. Changing your appearance in hopes of becoming more attractive? It looks maxxing.
Doing the bare minimum is a thing of the past – unless you’re on vacation, of course. On every social media platform, you can find almost anything with the suffix “maxxing” attached to describe the possibility of improving your lifestyle, intelligence or other aspects of self-improvement.
The concept of maxxing goes hand in hand with the health industry boom. The global market could reach nearly $10 trillion by 2030, according to estimates from the Global Wellness Institute, a nonprofit organization that monitors health economic trends. Brands pay attention to what people are trying to improve. Food and beverage companies now offer high-fiber products, from popcorn to soda. For sleepmaxxers, supplements and skincare products that claim to improve sleep quality and quantity are often seen on store shelves.
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A big trend suggests that instead of just doing a task, you should accelerate the rate at which you can become smarter, healthier or better. That framework raises concerns for some mental health professionals — perhaps ironically, for the most efficient among us.
Doing anything to the extreme often “damages other aspects of your life,” says Billie Dunlevy, a psychotherapist who works with clients across the UK.[That] It’s clearly unhealthy, and that’s not something any licensed mental health professional would advocate for.”
With maxxing, “the idea is about doing well, but the danger is about overdoing it,” adds New York City-based psychologist Jennifer Hartstein.
‘Maxxing’ can be dangerous without the right approach, say experts
Wanting to improve your health outcomes is inherently good, both Dunlevy and Hartstein say. They note that the way you pursue those goals requires understanding. “It’s OK to be passionate about something,” Dunlevy said, but the biggest tendency is to have “a perfect idea about it, that’s not based in reality.”
Looksmaxxing, which often involves trying to sharpen a person’s jawline and altering other facial features to appear more conventionally attractive, is particularly concerning, Dunlevy said. Desperately looking for ways to change the way you look can lead to body dysmorphia or other body image problems in low-risk people, he says. Tricks like using steroids and chewing rock-hard gum can cause physical harm to many young men who follow the habit.
Even if you’re in pursuit of a better life, you may not want to turn your hobby into a career by over-regulating your progress.
Don’t beat yourself up if you set a goal of seeing seven movies a weekend and only end up seeing four, says Hartstein. Sticking too hard to certain goals “can cause a whole sense of shame and make you feel uncomfortable,” he said. “The biggest danger to me of maxxing is the fact that it can feed people anxiety and depression … if it doesn’t work out the way they want, or if they fail.”
Too much tunnel vision in achieving your goals can cause you to neglect other aspects of your life, including your relationships, Hartstein says. Some people who rely on trends like maxxing can’t feel happy even when they reach their goals, because they fall into a pattern of always looking for the next success instead of celebrating what they’ve already accomplished, Dunlevy adds.
“Even if they achieve something that may be really difficult, [that] they may have had to really challenge themselves to do, they don’t feel particularly satisfied,” said Dunlevy.
Check in and ask your loved ones if your self-improvement methods are healthy, Dunlevy encourages. If you find yourself engaging in unhealthy, stressful behaviors, seek support from a mental health professional, she says.
Be clear about your ‘why’ and give yourself grace
It’s not surprising that people tend to grow up, especially as society continues to feel uncertain and fearful about the world’s economic, political and environmental conditions, both mental health experts say.
“Everything feels weird and chaotic. Closing one thing down almost gives a sense of stability,” Hartstein said.
However, you can get closer to improving aspects of your life without stressing yourself out too much. First, try asking yourself why you want to achieve certain goals to begin with. Hartstein suggests considering questions like these:
- “What goal do I want to set for myself?”
- “What goal makes sense for me?”
What works for other people may not work for you. If your schedule prevents you from hitting the gym four times a week, aim for a realistic number to set yourself up for success. “Ask yourself: If no one was watching or no one could see the questionable results, would I still be pushing this hard?” Dunlevy advises. “A lot of this is about optics.”
Being on your own can be even more stressful when you’re navigating difficult life situations like job insecurity, grief or relationship problems, Dunlevy says. The healthiest hobbies and pursuits are ones you can step away from whenever you need to and pick back up when you have the bandwidth, she and Hartstein both say.
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