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How to Avoid the Comparison Trap
Lately, very few people feel like they are winning in the game of life. Or at least that is what I hear from my clients. I have felt it, too.
In the absence of community, pandemic life funnels more of us online. Right into the comparison trap of who’s succeeding and who’s not. Here’s how it usually plays out. The monotony of home life gives rise to early afternoon cocktails, and a sleeve of Oreos promises the only comfort at the end of a day. A scroll through social media becomes the next easiest distraction.
The other day I hopped on Instagram as if I was just checking the weather. I found myself watching a clip of a woman like me (with kids about the same age as mine) crushing it through multiple reps of pull-ups. She had chiseled abs, glowing skin and was barely breaking a sweat. There she was, living her perfect life, and not struggling one bit.
It was more proof of all the ways I’m failing. Another reminder of me not measuring up.
Time for another round of cocktails.
Why do we do this to ourselves? Our brain is hard-wired to evaluate and compare. It’s one of the earliest forms of learning, and can serve a helpful purpose if it’s applied in the right way. For example, when starting a new job and trying to navigate office culture.
