4 Tips on How to Stop Comparing Yourself to Others

Comparing yourself and your life to others can be a big blow to your self-esteem. It gives birth to jealously, which ultimately affects your mental health. As important as it is to stop comparing your life with others, it's not something you could do in a minute.

Here are a few tips, if you constantly find yourself comparing your life to others:

1. Know How Social Comparison Works

Social media is the biggest culprit behind people comparing themselves with others, so you need to be aware of its mechanics. First of all, you need to accept the fact that it is human nature to compare yourself with others, so it is totally normal.

Another important thing to know is that social comparison is of two types. You either compare yourself to those you think are better than you, and you want to be them, or to those you feel are worse, and you're better off being 'You' than being 'Them.'

Once you know how it works, you need to realize that everyone is living a different life, and everyone has highs and lows in their lives, so it's not fair to compare yourself with others.

2. Start Practicing Gratitude

It may not completely stop you from comparing yourself to others. However, practicing gratitude can definitely make you feel better about yourself. It will help you appreciate the things you have. You'll get to learn about a lot of positive things happening in your life which you otherwise don't focus on.

One way of practicing gratitude is to start a Gratitude Journal. It comes with different sections such as "Today I'm grateful for:" which help you pen down all the things you're grateful for and the wonderful things happening in your life.

3. Change your Mindset

It's all about our mindset. Have you ever thought about the fact that the things we are jealous of can actually be an inspiration for us? If you see a post of your colleague on social media about getting a promotion, you can think of how he/she achieved it. Think of all the hard work behind it. This way instead of being jealous, you'll be inspired by their story.

4. Self-Reflection

We usually underestimate the wonders self-reflection can do. To fight the urge to compare your life to others’, you need to reflect on the things that trigger you, which could be fancy cars or branded clothes, etc. Once you've listed down your triggers, you need to ask yourself why these things bother you. When you do this, you'll realize some of the deep seated false beliefs you have about yourself and how you should present yourself to the world.

It may seem impossible to stop comparing yourself to others, especially when you're using social media daily, but you can always try the above tips to motivate yourself and boost your morale.

Photo Credit @PernilleTeisbaek