We’ve all been there.
A friend has shared some amazing news about their life that has left us feeling like we’re trailing behind. We’ve spent too much time feeling inadequate and comparing ourselves to others on social media. We’ve chosen to embrace our negative thoughts instead of trying to change their pattern.
We’ve all felt like we’re not doing enough or even that we simply aren’t enough ourselves.
What can you do when these feelings come knocking? It won’t be easy, but you can put them to rest and slowly but surely start feeling much better about yourself and the life you’re living.
What Is Enough?
The first question to ask yourself is what enough even is.
Comparison, the thief of joy, is often responsible for feelings of inadequacy. We rarely stop to consider if what we are comparing ourselves to is even something that we want. Society (and social media especially) tend to put too much undue pressure on everyone. So before you start loathing the fact you’re not doing enough, define what it is you want to be doing.
This applies to every aspect of your life, from work to your relationship and even the way you spend your free time.
Organize for More
Once you have defined what it is you want to aim for, create a roadmap to get there. You will most likely need to set some kinds of priorities, especially if you have set high goals for yourself. By high, we mean goals that are relatively distant to where you now are in life, irrespective of where other people are.
The only reason you may feel you can’t get everything done is poor time management. Set aside chunks of time to do what you need to do to get where you want to get. If this means swapping out a night of Netflix for a night of doing some extra work, so be it.
Take Better Care
Another culprit that may be causing your feelings of “less than” is poor physical health. You don’t need to be ill to feel tired, unmotivated, sluggish, or a bit down. Luckily, a simple modification of your daily habits can help quite a lot.
Sleep and success are inextricably linked, so start with prioritizing sleep over, well, everything else. This doesn’t mean you should spend half of your day in bed – just that you should get enough sleep every night.
Start eating a more balanced diet and fueling your days with foods that you like and that are good to you. This does not mean you need to cut out sweets, for example. You can still eat the occasional candy bar, as long as you balance it out with nutrient-rich meals full of vegetables and lean meats.
Exercise is another staple of both mental and physical health. That’s why finding a routine you enjoy can make the biggest impact on how you feel about yourself. Even a 30-minute daily walk can help some of the clouds lift.
Remove the Negatives
Sometimes, you need to put some distance between yourself and whatever it is that is putting added pressure on you. This, again, is most often social media.
Mute the accounts that are making you feel like you’re not doing enough. These might be the accounts of your friends, influencers, or strangers you feel are getting more done than you are. Muting them does not mean you appreciate them any less, just that you are prioritizing your own mental health.
When you start feeling better about yourself and your journey, you can unmute them all again and enjoy sharing in their success and their journey.
You may also need to stop seeing certain people, spending as much time watching TV, or binging on sugary soda. Slowly but surely, identify all the habits and influences that are making you feel like you’re lacking. Swap them for ones that will help you achieve your goals.
Final Thoughts
Once you sit down and take a good look at your life and where you are right now, you may actually find you are doing quite a lot. The key is not to compare yourself to what others are doing. Compare yourself only to the person you used to be, and keep taking steps towards the person you want to become.