Playing The Comparison Game And Why It Isn't Worth It
- Kaitlyn Marie Redmore
- Oct 29, 2024
- 2 min read
We have all been guilty of scrolling on social media and comparing our health and fitness journey to others. But why do we do this and does it ultimately damage our self-esteem?
The comparison game is all too common in our society, especially with the rate at which we consume social media.
It is so easy to jump on Instagram or TikTok and start comparing yourself to others and their health and fitness journeys. It's important to remember that everyone's fitness journey is different! We are all unique and are all at various stages of our journey. Where you started your journey, your environment, your upbringing, all of these things make your situation unique. This is why it is so hard to compare your journey to others.
Commonly, I see people compare their 1-year fitness journey to someone who has been training for the last 10 years consistently. That is like comparing apples with oranges, it just isn't a fair comparison.
Not only do we all have different starting points and goals, but we also face unique challenges in our lives. What works for someone else may not work for you, and you know what? That is completely okay! You need to find what works for you.
Focus on your achievements throughout your journey, no matter how small. Instead of measuring your success against others, give yourself more credit and reflect on how far you have already come. Even if you are only just beginning, it takes courage and determination to start, so give yourself some praise.
We are consumed daily by social media, so it can be easy to compare ourselves to others when we are constantly on our phones throughout the day. But remember that people post only what they want others to see on social media, what you see online is often a person's highlight reel. Most of us are guilty of sharing our best moments on social media, and leaving out the not-so-glamourous moments. Everyone has ups and downs, everyone has good days and bad days. What matters the most is that we learn to stay in our own lane and avoid comparing our lives and our journey to others.
However, that doesn't mean that we can't be inspired by other people's journeys and want to strive for similar. Use others stories to inspire you to keep pushing toward your own goals, this type of motivation comes from a positive place and can help you.
Try this little task when you have 5-10 minutes - Write down what you personally want to achieve on your health and fitness journey and why. Your "why" is so important to ensure you are doing this for the right reasons. Keeping your goals front and centre can help you stay motivated, on track, and remind you that your journey is personal to you.
If you find yourself still getting caught up in the comparison game from time to time, just remember that we are all human and that is completely normal. Try to bring your attention and focus back to your individual progress and keep pushing forward toward your own goals. Your journey is unique and deserves recognition.
