Avoiding The Comparison Game
No one can make you feel inferior without your consent - Eleanor Roosevelt
I love this quote by Eleanor Roosevelt. It is a good reminder when feeling less than and not enough.
Feeling inferior is an easy trap to fall into, especially in our modern age of social media. When we view others’ posts and see how great they are doing, how they’re killing it and exceeding their goals, it is easy to begin playing the comparison game. Once the comparison game begins, it is only a matter of minutes, and sometimes seconds, when we begin to feel inferior, less than, and not enough – and then we retreat, isolate, and sabotage ourselves.
The next time you find yourself “going there” and beginning that cycle, take a step back. Take a deep breath. Hold for a count of 5. Slowly exhale. Repeat.
Those people posting on social media, or telling you themselves, are portraying to you their highlight reel – their “A” game. They are working on making a good impression. When listening to them, we tend to compare ourselves, not with our highlight reel, but with our “B” reel – you know the one where our shortcomings, mistakes and bloopers are on a continuous loop helping us feel worse about ourselves.
Stop!
For those who are sports minded, it would be like having our top 5 varsity basketball players play a game against the beginning 7th graders. It isn’t a fair match up at all.
The next time you find yourself in that situation, what can you do to take care of you?
*turn off the social media or if it is a real person, excuse yourself
*do some deep breathing and repeat the mantra, “I am enough”
*have a post-it or two that you carry with you
*listing what would be on your highlight reel
*listing your top 5 strengths
*remember Eleanor Roosevelt’s quote, “no one can make you feel inferior without your consent”
Keep working towards your own goals at your pace. You are doing a great job being you!
If you would like some help in this area, email me at denisestyer@comcast.net, or schedule a complimentary discovery call with me at www.calendly.com/denisestyer
Remember to take care of you!
Denise