It’s like any other day , you are scrolling through Instagram before sleeping and suddenly you see posts of your fellows or so called Instagram friends.
Someone is getting promoted, someone is moving abroad , someone is getting married , everyone is reaching milestones one or the other .
And then you pause and you start to think …
Where do I stand ?
This is a very tiny small thought , and you try to remind yourself that social media is not true, everybody has their own journey …
but that feeling …
it doesn’t go that easily .
In psychology, this is known as Upward comparison .
the tendency to compare ourselves with those who appear ahead of us.
On the surface, it looks like inspiration. But over time, it starts feeling like pressure.
And this cycle repeats , different people , different posts but same pressure.
Why does this happen ?
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Because our brain gives more importance to negative feelings than the positive ones.
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Because self doubt is already there and it just needs a trigger.
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Because every milestone whoever is achieving whether it is relevant to your journey or not is public .
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Because our brain is constantly overstimulated.
So , the ultimate truth is still that … Everybody has their own journey !
but you see people achieving milestone everyday and this makes you doubt yourself .
You are not behind . You are just overthinking with others timelines.
How to cope up
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Reduce your exposure .
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Remind yourself that lives on social media are edited
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Track your own progress
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Create your own timeline
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Take digital detox whenever required.
Conclusion
You are not late . You are not stuck . Stop seeing life through other’s timelines. Don’t forget to be grateful even if it is not much right now.
Do you also feel this silent pressure ?
MBH/PS