How many of us can identify with feeling perfectly fine until we start aimlessly scrolling our social media feeds? Suddenly we feel flat, unhappy and inadequate – and all in the space of a few minutes.
Comparing yourself to others
I wasn’t sure ‘comparisonitis’ (comparing yourself to others) was even a word but it turns out it is in the dictionary! Defined as ‘the compulsion to compare one’s accomplishments to another’s to determine importance’ *, this definitely rings a bell.
Not enough
Comparisonitis means we feel we are not enough somehow, and can’t possibly measure up to our friends, colleagues or others – whether that relates to appearance, clothing, their relationship/s, their job, their life in general – the list goes on.
While it is human nature to compare ourselves to others, if it’s starting to consume you and impact your confidence, this is a sign you need to address it.
Letting go
Here’s some tips for letting go of the comparing urge:
- Notice, and recognise you are comparing – being aware of this tendency is the first step.
- Pay close attention to your own achievements and things that make you feel good about yourself – too often we ignore these in favour of what someone else has accomplished.
- Turn it around: can the person inspire you instead of making you feel inferior? If they can do it, maybe so can you?
- If you aren’t having a good day, stay off Instagram and Facebook.
- Run an ‘honesty check’ – are you feeling fearful, insecure? Sometimes we self sabotage by falling into the comparison trap as it keeps us in our comfort zone.
- Check for triggers – are any old feelings emerging? If this happens a lot, it can be good to talk to a therapist to try to diffuse these.
Don’t hesitate to get in touch if any of this resonates with you 🙂
*Wiktionary
