Avoid Comparing Yourself to Others

One day I was scrolling through social media and I was suddenly in a bad mood. I realized that it was because somehow in the time I was scrolling, I began to feel bad about myself. That feeling became a constant one any time I scrolled. I could physically feel myself becoming irritable and oftentimes, sad. Those feelings would stay with me, setting the tone for the day and putting me in a bad mood.

I put two and two together and realized that these feelings I kept experiencing was me feeling less-than. Social media placed me squarely in a position of comparison. You’ve heard the famous quote “Comparison is the thief of joy.” Truer words could not have been uttered.

The reason I was so often irritated was because I was viewing everyone’s social media life as REAL life. And we all know now that that’s just not how social works. We are all guilty of sharing the great parts of our lives and holding the REAL life events a little more privately.

Our lives have become these curated masterpieces for the world to envy. We find validation in likes and comments.

When I did finally see social media for what it was, I took control. I began unfollowing people and accounts that made me feel bad about myself. Eventually I completely removed myself from certain social media platforms. Does that mean I don’t fall prey to comparing myself? I wish I could say yes, but certainly there are days when it’s easier and other days when it’s harder.  I’m human! But when I start to feel that way, I know it’s time for me to take a step back. And I’m here to tell you that it works. I highly recommend taking breaks when you can, and weeding your social media garden.

You get to control how you use social media. Ask yourself if the accounts you follow make you feel inspired or deflated. Remember NOT ONE PERSON on social media has their life completely together. We’re all just fumbling around trying to figure it out. We all have days where we feel less-than.

We need to avoid comparing ourselves to strangers on the internet. Most importantly, remember none of us is perfect. We’re ALL beautifully imperfect and that is the absolute, magical truth. You are enough. You are amazing. Your path is uniquely yours and yours alone. Don’t waste your time wishing you were anyone else. It’s time to embrace who we are.