Today, we are privy to a lot of information about everyone’s lives. We can follow friends, family members and celebrities on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, SnapChat, and more platforms. We can get newsletters from any blog that we like. Our phone will send us alerts anytime someone likes one of our posts.
And all of this information, all of these peeks into other people’s lives can make us feel like crap. When we’re constantly look at other people, it’s all too easy to compare ourselves to them and their lives. Why don’t I look like that? Why haven’t I made as much money? Why wasn’t I promoted, or asked to go hang out with them?
Why Comparison Hurts
Comparison is the act of measuring yourself against another person. While this doesn’t sound bad on its face, it can quickly spiral to a bad place. When we measure ourselves against other people we can eliminate good things about ourselves and focus only on the things we dislike.
Take for example, reading about an entrepreneur that hit their first million dollars in revenue two years into their business. If you’re already five years in and have yet to crack $100,000, this could make you question your abilities and wonder what right you have to even be in business.
Comparison doesn’t come with inspiration. It doesn’t come with information to help you level up, or compliments to reinforce positive ideas you already have about yourself. Comparison merely points out your flaws and keeps you focused on them.
How to Opt Out of The Comparison Game
The simplest answer is also the hardest to enact; stop looking at things that make you compare yourself to others. Easier said than done! In our media saturated world, that’s almost impossible. You can be driving down the road and see a bikini clad model that can jumpstart a comparison game in your head.
Here are three things you can do to stop playing the comparison game in your life:
-keep a brag sheet handy. Whether it’s on your phone or on a post it on the bathroom mirror, you should write a brag sheet. List out things you’re proud of doing or having done. It can be anything; going to the gym every day this week, paying off debt, meeting a new friend. When you start to feel badly, pull it out and remind yourself of all the things you’ve done.
-find a support system. Having people in your life that can lift you up when you’re down is key. Sometimes we can’t be our own cheerleaders, but the people who love us can.
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