Comparison is the thief of joy. - Theodore Roosevelt

I’ll start by acknowledging that this post is definitely out of my normal “hunt country chic” content. However, I have been mulling over my thoughts about social media and comparison for a few weeks now and, even if nobody else reads this, this blog post serves as a gentle albeit important reminder for myself. In full transparency, I’ve been struggling with social media over the past few months — whether it’s simply due to the time of the year, the stress of a house remodel and career, general burn-out, or something else — and this mental turmoil has left me feeling uninspired, unmotivated, and frankly, quite ‘blah’. And, while what I’m writing is neither ground-breaking nor shocking, it’s important to stop and think about every now and then, especially when so much of our daily life is spent consuming content either consciously or unconsciously.

It’s easy to scroll through social media or watch a vlog on YouTube and be left feeling simultaneously inspired and envious. But, when we look at what someone posts about their life, we are only looking at a few seconds (in the case of Instagram and TikTok) or hours (in the case of YouTube) of their lives… what we choose to show on social media is a curation of our own making. It’s never the full picture, and more often than not, it’s the best and brightest of that person’s day — we aren’t seeing the bad and the ugly, only the good. In the midst of scrolling through my social media feeds, I find myself ensnared in a world where every corner of every room is impeccably styled, every meal plated with artistic precision, and every moment seemingly captured in an endless stream of leisure. As I gaze upon these perfectly curated homes and seemingly carefree lifestyles, I’d be lying if I said that a pang of inadequacy doesn’t wash over me occasionally.

It's as if I'm peering through a looking glass into a realm where perfection reigns supreme, and my own reality can pale in comparison. It's a constant battle between admiration and self-doubt, as I grapple with the ever-present temptation to measure my worth against these carefully crafted images. Yet amidst the allure of these polished facades lies a stark reminder that what we see on social media is but a fleeting glimpse, often veiled in filters and edited to perfection.

It is so important to emphasize that genuine connections and moments of authenticity that enrich our lives beyond the confines of a screen are what really matters.

In my quest to pull myself out of my confliction, a few things that have helped me are the following:

Curate the content you’re consuming.
If you frequently look at someone’s posts or videos and feel envy, jealousy, or negativity, know that it’s perfectly alright to unfollow that person or even block them.
Take a step back.
The concept of a ‘social media detox’ may seem simple, but it can be much harder than it seems! But, if you’re struggling to peel yourself away from mindlessly scrolling or constantly comparing your own life to what you’re looking at online, it’s probably the perfect time to give yourself a break. Even if it’s just 24 hours without opening Instagram, a little break can be so good for the mind and spirit!
Turn envy and jealousy into inspiration.
One of the books I am currently reading is Evergreen by Lydia Millen (a must-read, if you haven’t checked it out already!). She touches on this topic in greater detail, and it was one of those ‘a-ha’ moments for me that came at the perfect time. She discusses that we are envious and jealous of things that we don’t have (to her point, when have you ever felt jealous of somebody for something you didn’t want?). A step back and a look inwards can be so helpful for first identifying what it is that we want, and then shifting to a more positive mindset and using what was envy as inspiration for us to achieve our own goals and wants.