It’s human nature to compare ourselves to others. We do it all the time, without even realizing it. We compare our looks, our accomplishments, and our wealth. This is especially true when it comes to social media. It can be so easy to get caught up in the lives of others and start feeling like we are falling behind.
We might see someone on social media who seems to have it all together and wonder why our life isn’t as perfect as theirs, or we might meet someone at work who is more successful than us and feel like we’re not good enough.
Comparison can be incredibly damaging to our self-esteem, and it can stop us from reaching our full potential. In this article, I’m going to share with you how I learned to stop comparing myself to others and start living a happier life.
#1 – Name Your Inner Critic
One of the first steps to stopping the comparison game is to become aware of your inner critic. This is the voice in your head that tells you that you’re not good enough, that you’ll never be as successful as so-and-so, or that you don’t deserve happiness.
Your inner critic might seem like it’s trying to protect you, but it’s actually holding you back. When you listen to your inner critic, you’re letting fear control your life.
In order to quiet your inner critic, you need to first give it a name. This might seem like a silly exercise, but it’s actually very powerful. By naming your inner critic, you’re taking away its power.
Then, whenever your inner critic starts speaking up, you can say, “Thank you, but I’m going to do this anyway.”
It’s also important to become aware of the things that trigger your inner critic. For me, one of my triggers is social media. Whenever I see someone living their best life on Instagram, my inner critic starts telling me that I’m not good enough.
#2 – Be Your Own Best Friend
If you wouldn’t say it to your best friend, don’t say it to yourself. This is such an important rule to live by.
We are often our own worst critics and we need to learn to cut ourselves some slack.
One way to do this is by creating a list of things you love about yourself. This can be things like, “I am a great friend,” or “I am a great cook.”
Every time your inner critic starts talking, counter it with one of the things on your list.
You’ll be surprised how quickly this will become a habit and how much better you’ll feel about yourself.
#3 – Keep a Record of Achievements
Another way to stop comparing yourself to others is by keeping track of your own achievements.
This can be things like, “I got a promotion at work,” or “I ran my first marathon.”
Whenever you start feeling down about yourself, look at your list and remember all of the amazing things you’ve accomplished.
You’ll quickly realize that you’re doing just fine – even if you’re not exactly where you want to be yet.
#4 – Practice Self-care
One of the best things you can do for yourself is to practice self-care.
This means taking care of your physical and mental health by eating healthy, exercising, getting enough sleep, and spending time doing things you enjoy.
When you take care of yourself, you’ll feel better about yourself – and you won’t be as likely to compare yourself to others.
It wasn’t always easy. Confronting some of the darker feelings was hard, but looking them straight in the eye will give you the power to begin moving forward.
#5 – Be Proactive
You can’t control what other people do, but you can control your own actions. If you’re not happy with where you are in life, make a change.
Don’t wait around for someone else to give you what you want – go out and get it yourself.
This is probably the most important point on the list. You are in control of your own life, so take charge and make the changes you want to see.
A lot of times, we compare ourselves to others because we’re not doing what we want to be doing with our lives.
If you don’t like your job, for example, it’s easy to look at someone else who has a job they love and envy them.
But the truth is, you won’t get what you want by sitting around and wishing for it. You have to go out and get it.
Conclusion
I am not perfect and that is okay. I have come to terms with the fact that I will never be as good as someone else, but I can be better than who I was yesterday.
Comparison is the thief of joy and it has taken a lot of work, but I am finally at a place where I am content with my own accomplishments. We all have our own unique gifts and talents to share with the world; we just need to learn how to embrace them.
