Stop Comparing Yourself to Influencers

Stop Comparing Yourself to Influencers

Influencers are not only on social media, anyone around you, including your friends and family can be an influencer in your life. All these people can impact your thoughts, choices and life in some way, and at times we may find ourselves comparing ourselves to them. It is time to stop.

Social media influencers are everywhere, on television, on websites and of course on social media. Many people regularly compare their Instagram feeds with theirs and others may compare their appearance to theirs. Not all influencers edit their pictures but some do. They use filters and photoshop, and who can blame them with the amount of pressure they’re under. They are always in the public eye and constantly under scrutiny from the media. This both contributes to and causes the unrealistic stereotypical body image people are trying to achieve, because it is often where the comparisons begin.

Recently I have seen many TikTok videos titled ‘What I Eat in a Day’, and for those who are  trying to achieve healthy weight loss goals it may provide a helping hand. However, if this isn’t what you are aiming for don’t compare what you are eating to what they are, especially during lockdown, stressful times or when your mental health is strained. Taking care of your body and mind is key, and just because one person eats a certain number of calories in a day doesn’t mean that you have to too.

Comparisons can be made on more than just body image, sometimes you may compare your life to not only social media influencers but to friends and family's lives too. Just because they are at a certain stage in their life doesn’t mean that you have to be, we all have different ambitions and goals and there is no timeline in which these have to be met. This can be difficult if you feel like you are being left behind in comparison to your friends, family or colleagues, but you have to remember that you are at the right stage in your life.

It doesn’t mean that you are a failure because you are not at the same stage as somebody else is in theirs. These comparisons can be in respect to jobs, relationships, housing and money. You will never be happy or grateful with what you have if there is constant comparison in your mind. This can be hard to stop, especially when these influencers are all around you, but learn to be happy for them, celebrate their wins and don’t compare theirs  to yours.

With all that said, there are some people who influence us for the better. This could be through receiving beneficial advice from a friend or family member or by following uplifting influencers on social media. One social media influencer who has influenced lives for the better this past year is Dr. Alex George. Throughout Covid-19 he has been lifting people’s spirits and providing his top tips for keeping your physical and mental health in good shape. He has now been appointed the UK’s Ambassador for mental health. He is most definitely an influencer I suggest you follow on social media, if you do not already. His tips and advice are easy to take on board and fit in to everyday life.

You can decide what friends and family influence your decisions, what people on social media you follow and who you look up to. This is something that I think people occasionally lose track of and it can really allow your confidence to spiral out of control. Some people who do not contribute to your ambitions in life are harder to cut than others, but with social media influencers you can easily unfollow them, so you can stop making unhealthy comparisons between your life and theirs.

You are free to choose who is an influencer in your life.

The most important thing is to be happy with where you are in your life and show gratitude for that every day.