Comparison Game

Spring Break is in sight and this girl is R E A D Y! 

Anxiety and stress have been a bit in overdrive as of late and I have been really trying to minimize it's impact on my sleep and attitude. My motivation usually goes through the roof when I feel stressed and it's almost as if I get tunnel vision. This isn't always a good thing. I get so focused that if I get derailed even the slightest in my efforts or plans, I sort of break down because I lose control. Before heading off to college, I don't think anyone really tells you how much work it's going to be. Or at least I don't remember anyone telling me when I was leaving high school... granted that may have been a few years ago. Anything worth having is going to be a challenge and I know all I can do is show up, be positive, and try my very hardest. It's times like this in life that I sometimes get caught up in this "comparison game", especially thanks to social media, I'm all up in everyone's business! It's easy to fall into a place where you don't feel adequate, where you aren't performing as well as others, or aren't doing enough. In the past I have gone to that place and damn near killed myself trying to do essentially everything. I soon learned I can't do it all while still maintaining my health and relationships. I just simply can't. It's okay to just do a little.

I try and keep my life and self balanced with school, studying, time with family and friends, exercise, blogging, house work, time with my husband, etc. Sometimes it's hard and I can't fit it all in, even in a weeks time. I see others creating great recipes, going on trips (travel is one of my greatest loves and something I have had to put on the back burner since starting school.), posting amazing long posts on self-care and de-stressing- and I'm over here just trying to remember to shower once a day, etc. But I stop myself, because this is MY journey, my soon to be career path, and most importantly MY LIFE. At the end of my life I'm not going to think of how many likes I have or followers, talk about the things in life that are truly so UN-important! 

Not only do I fall victim to comparing myself to others, I have been comparing myself to me from a couple years ago. Thanks to things like Time Hop, I frequently get updated with pictures of my fitness journey, keep in mind it was my only goal at the time besides growing my business, and I would pour myself into the gym 6-7 days a week 1.5-3 hours a day. It was a great time in my life and I changed my body. As a personal trainer, it's difficult to have a certain physique, live and breathe fitness, and then have it slide down to the back of the bus because well- life happened. I now not only want to grow as a human, but I have to grow my brain. My goals shifted along with my focus and now I'm lucky to make it to the gym 4 days a week with my course load and work. 

Don't allow yourself to get caught in this web of comparison, it's a depreciating place that makes it hard to grow. It's emotional suicide and can snowball rapidly. When I do find myself doing this, first thing I do is put my phone down and think of how hard I'm working and all of the things I'm juggling. Then I remind myself, I am me and that is all I need to worry about. What everyone else is doing in their life, isn't my situation. I also have unfollowed a lot of people that posted content that doesn't contribute to me, people that didn't line up with my current objectives, and people that honestly didn't make me feel good about me. 

Even though it feels I take this day by day, that's all I can do. I have good days and then I have not so good days, but I do know that comparing myself to others will never help in motivating me in my life. Don't allow yourself to be sucked in and brought down! Teddy Roosevelt said, "Comparison is the thief of joy", and it truly is. Don't rob yourself and all of your efforts. Honor your dedication and hard work, you are amazing, and the grandest part is- you are the best you there is!