5 Ways to Ditch the Comparison Trap
We’re all guilty of comparing ourselves to others at some point in our lives. Comparison is a natural behavior, but it can steal our joy and take a toll on our confidence. We all do it and it can cause a downward spiral of self doubt, but the good news is, there are strategies we can implement to help overcome it.
Conquering the comparison trap is a powerful way to improve our confidence, so here are 5 ways to ditch the comparison trap now!
1. Get off social media
Thanks to social media, comparison is especially common these days because we can easily compare ourselves with the click of a button. Bring awareness to the effect this has on you and take a social media break or complete detox. We’ve all done it, mindlessly scrolling through “perfect” Instagram photos and, sure enough, we feel like our lives aren’t good enough.
It’s important to remind yourself that you can’t compare yourself to someone else's outward appearance through social media. Most people don’t post “reality” and only post that one flawless snapshot after hundreds of outtakes. We then interpret that one moment as a life of perfection, when really everyone has struggles and no one is perfect. If a complete detox is unrealistic, limit how much time you're spending on each platform. Setting boundaries around social media is empowering and also critical for breaking through the comparison trap.
2. Focus on your strengths
We tend to focus on our shortcomings, but it’s so important for our confidence to recognize our accomplishments. We look at other people’s successes, but we often forget our own! Because our minds focus on the negative, it’s important to get intentional and keep a weekly record of your wins. Go back to it when you start to feel yourself getting in a comparison slump and use it as a reminder of all your strengths and amazing qualities!
3. Practice gratitude
One of the most important ways to get out of the comparison trap is to practice gratitude. Gratitude reduces social comparison and helps you appreciate other people's accomplishments. Look at all the positives in your life and allow yourself to be grateful for everything you have to offer the world. An easy way to become more appreciative is to journal daily. Take just a few minutes each morning and write down what you’re grateful for. A gratitude state of mind will help you retrain your brain to focus more on all the good in your life rather than comparing yourself to others.
4. Compete with yourself
Use your comparison thoughts as a tool for motivation and strive to become a better version of yourself. Our minds naturally like to organize where we fit in and use reference points to rank us in the world. So instead of comparing yourself to others, allow your mind to redirect and compare from within. Compare yourself to yesterday, or last week or last month. Have you made progress or grown since then? You and only you get to define your measure of success.
5. Embrace your uniqueness
It’s so important to remember just how unique you are. There will always be someone prettier, smarter or more put together than you. But there is only one you! Embrace it. Accept yourself and realize that no one is perfect, including you. It’s your unique flaws that make you imperfectly and beautifully you.
And as a final reminder, give yourself a little more compassion. Befriend your inner critic and realize that these comparison insecurities are normal. We tend to compare the worst of ourselves to the best of others. Remember, everything is not always what it seems and we never know what really goes on behind closed doors. Ditching the comparison trap is an ongoing journey, but as you practice these tips you’ll start to break free from these thoughts and live a happier and more confident life.