It is inevitable to compare yourself to someone else at some point in your life. Some do it more than others, but we all do it. Growing up in a world run by social media, it is seemingly impossible to not compare yourself to some of the people we see online. Although we know that most of the stuff we see online isn’t reality, we fall into a trap of comparison without even knowing it sometimes.
You may be relatively confident in your own skin, but the second you go on instagram and see a size 00 model, you begin to compare yourself. You may not be as confident as you once thought. I’m the first to admit that I follow far too many influencers and models than is probably healthy. I’m also the first to admit that I have most definitely been caught up in the unrealistic expectations that these girls promote. I will say, I constantly try to remind myself that these expectations are not attainable without unhealthy habits forming. I know that a lot of it is fake, but it is still far too easy to get caught up in. A break from social media completely is much needed when these thoughts begin to spiral.
The quote “comparison is the thief of joy” speaks for itself. The very moment we begin to compare ourselves to these girls online, our self confidence plummets. It takes away our positive thoughts towards ourselves, and we begin to second guess. For some, these feelings go away quickly once you get back to your everyday routine. For others, this can be detrimental to your overall well-being. Some of us don’t just go back to our everyday routine and suddenly feel okay. Instead, this lack of self worth could last days, weeks, and so on.
It’s easier said than done to completely stop comparing yourself to these online standards. No matter what, it is going to occasionally happen. What we need to continue to do is remind not only ourselves, but girls around us, that we are enough. Remind your friends, your classmates, your family, that they are enough just the way they are. Life is too short to waste time comparing yourself when you were made the way you are for a reason.
