The Pitfalls of Too Much Mindfulness: Dangers of Pop Psychology

To take care of our mental health, we often try to understand psychological concepts, ideas, and tools. With so much information available to non-specialists today, it seems easier than ever. However, pop psychology has its downsides—from unreliable sources to misunderstood terms. Let’s explore the traps you might encounter and how to avoid them.

What’s Wrong with Pop Psychology?

The idea of explaining psychological concepts to a wide audience dates back to the 1950s. At that time, George Miller, president of the American Psychological Association, encouraged spreading this knowledge in society. He believed it would improve people’s quality of life and help them cope with problems.

The popularization of psychology has been incredibly successful and continues today. Psychologists—and many others—write articles and books, release podcasts, run blogs, and create videos. Nick Haslam, a psychology professor at the University of Melbourne, divides these sources into three categories based on their function:

• Books and media that share the latest scientific psychology findings. These are usually written by scientists or science journalists.
• How-to guides. For example, publications on how to be more productive or improve relationships with partners, parents, or children. These sources offer tools to solve everyday problems and are often written by practicing psychologists.
• Resources aimed at people with mental health issues. These also describe practical tools, but the goal is to ease symptoms rather than promote personal growth. For example, helping with anxiety, stress, or depression.

Haslam notes that the second and third categories can be considered part of the self-help industry. The line between them is blurry. Also, the authors of these guides are not always psychologists, even though their content looks and feels psychological. For instance, Dale Carnegie, author of “How to Win Friends and Influence People,” was an educator, lecturer, and writer—but not a psychologist.

This situation leads to several problems:

• Unreliable sources. Authors of pop psychology materials don’t always rely on scientific data or interpret it correctly. It can be hard to tell what’s research-based and what’s just personal experience.
• Oversimplification. Practical content tends to offer clear, simple recommendations. But these can’t account for everyone’s unique circumstances. As a result, we may try to use labels and practices that don’t actually fit us.
• Ignoring social, cultural, and economic factors. Pop psychology often reduces everything to the individual, overlooking broader influences. This is especially important to remember with translated content, which was created in very different contexts.

Myths and Beliefs Created by Pop Psychology

As mentioned above, pop psychology materials aren’t always reliable. They can create myths and beliefs that spread quickly in society but have no scientific basis. And these aren’t just abstract misconceptions like dividing people into “creative” or “technical” types. Often, these ideas affect daily life and are presented as universal truths. For example:

• Mindfulness means we should always express emotions calmly and appropriately. Intense reactions are a sign of not working on yourself enough.
• If you dislike something about your partner and they’re not eager to change, your relationship must be unhealthy.
• Setting boundaries means acting harshly or even rudely with anyone who crosses them.
• You don’t need to manage negative emotions—just express them however you want, since they’re natural.
• Everyone needs therapy.

Taking these and other myths seriously can have unpleasant consequences. For example, suppressing healthy reactions and emotions like resentment, anger, or sadness. It can become harder to forgive your own or others’ mistakes. We might judge others or even try to “teach” those around us, thinking we know enough about psychology. Or we might try to diagnose mental illnesses without consulting a professional.

How to Avoid the Trap

Despite the risks and downsides, pop psychology also has undeniable benefits. As people learn more about mental health and how the mind works, these topics are taken more seriously. For example, working with psychologists and therapists is gradually becoming normalized—it’s less often seen as a weakness or an admission that something is “wrong” with you. The growth of mindfulness, self-reflection, self-care, and personal development are also, to some extent, results of psychology’s popularization.

So how can you learn more about psychology and avoid the pitfalls?

• Develop critical thinking. Try to evaluate any information critically. Check who the author is, whether they cite research (and what kind), and where the material is published.
• Seek a second opinion. Even the most competent authors can make mistakes. Before adopting their advice or ideas, try to find out what other experts think. For example, look for reviews of the author’s materials, talk to your own psychologist if you have one, or explore other content on similar topics.
• Adapt all recommendations to yourself. If you like a piece of advice and want to try it, don’t rush. Think about whether it really suits you. Maybe your circumstances or personality are different from those described. Or your past experience suggests you need a different approach.
• Don’t self-diagnose. Of course, if you often feel anxious and look for ways to support yourself, tips for dealing with anxiety can be helpful. But that doesn’t mean you have an anxiety disorder, for example. If you suspect you have a diagnosis, it’s best to consult a specialist—they can help you understand what’s going on and what to do next.