6 Tips for Conquering Social Media Comparison

Today I’m going to share my take on conquering social media comparison! Anyone who uses social media deals with this in some way. You may be a blogger looking at other bloggers’ follower counts and comparing yourself (guilty!) You may just use Instagram for fun, but still totally feel FOMO (also guilty!) So, today I’m going to share my tips for beating this comparison.

1. Step away from your phone.

As a blogger, this might not make sense. If you aren’t seeing the engagement you want, you should work on it, right?! Not so much. From my experience, at a certain point, the best thing you can do for your own happiness is putting your phone away.

Confession: I often let social media for this blog stress me out way more than I should. Whether I’m worried about when I’ll have time to take good pictures or I notice a drop in followers, I know I’m not using my energy in a positive way. When I find myself stressing about these things that I can’t change, I put my phone on Do Not Disturb and do something else. I might take a bubble bath or watch a movie, but no matter what, I’m not letting myself check my phone and stress about it. By the time I look at Instagram again, I’ve moved on (at least a little).

2. Do something you enjoy (that has nothing to do with social media).

This step is part of #1, but I think it’s important enough to be its own step! A lot of times, I think the things that make us happy aren’t really increasing our joy. For example, when’s the last time you spent an hour scrolling through Instagram mindlessly? It may have been entertaining, but I know that it isn’t lasting joy. Instead of spending that time on Instagram, especially if I’ve been feeling less than because of Instagram, I like to look to outside sources that can actually increase my joy. For me, that can be anything from reading a favorite book, having a dance party in my room, or writing in a prayer journal. These all may take the same time, and they definitely don’t solve the problem, but when I’m done with them, I find that I’m actually happier… not just wondering where that hour went!

3. Look to someone who inspires you.

This might seem counterintuitive (and maybe a lil crazy…), but when I’m in a social media comparison slump, I like to revisit my favorite blogger’s old posts. Aka when they first started blogging old. This always reminds me that we all have to start somewhere, and when I’m able to see their progress, I remember my own. Most bloggers don’t start with tons of likes and followers – they built their way up.

It also helps me remember that success isn’t measured in numbers. Some of my favorite bloggers have hundreds of thousands of followers, and some have less than a thousand. But, when I’m reading their blog, I’m not thinking about those numbers. I’m only thinking about how much I love reading their words!

4. Open up and be honest.

This may be as simple as telling a friend how you feel, or it may mean writing a blog post about it. #Relatable? Everyone, at one point or another, deals with social media comparison, so it’s nice to reach out to and learn from others. And, though it may be the definition of irony, I tend to turn to social media for this reassurance! If I’m feeling upset about anything, I love knowing that I can look at my favorite blogger’s blog posts and read what they’ve been through, or scroll through an artist’s Instagram. For me, knowing that others definitely deal with this makes me feel much better.

5. Use the feeling to inspire you.

This goes in so many different ways. If you find yourself stressed about your blog’s Instagram, use that to inspire your next blog post. If you’re jealous that a friend’s feed is gorgeous because she’s always out exploring, explore! If you constantly look at an artist’s Instagram and feel jealous, use those feelings to create art of your own. You never know when your experiences will help someone else.

6. Remember your true value.

One of those things that’s so much easier said than done, but the most important thing to work on. If I look at the things that make me feel loved, the amount of followers I have on Instagram doesn’t land on the list. What does land on the list? Being a daughter, a sister, a friend. Above all, I remember that God doesn’t care at all how many followers I have. When I put it in that perspective, I find it’s much easier to move on from this social media comparison.

So, do you have any tips for beating social media comparison? I’d love to hear them!

xoxo, Cecilia