Yesterday, during a PMS induced frustration, I decided to deactivate my Facebook. So if you're reading this and didn't find it via a link on my page, then that's awesome! I'm going to try it for 30 days, after some Google searches I have discovered that this is apparently a very hipster thing to do.
As someone who lives 600 miles from their family I can attest that Facebook is a good way to keep in touch. It's also a huge time-suck and zaps my productivity. I found myself going on to check my notifications and then falling down the proverbial rabbit hole.
I found myself playing the comparison game. I've spent most of my life playing that game. You know the one. When you're young it's "she's so much prettier than me and that sucks." As an adult this becomes "They're more successful than us because they just bought a new car" or "Wow, their house is so beautiful. I wish we weren't renting." and my favorite: "I'm not a respectable adult yet because I don't have children." Ouch, that one stings.
On the flip side it can lead to a sick sense of satisfaction "How many times has she been married? We're not even 30 yet."
Those other people are probably putting up facades anyway. We want to appear perfect to outsiders but on the inside we are anything but. The couple with the new house might be struggling to pay their mortgage and having the fights that money struggles can bring. The couple with the new baby could be making one last effort to make their marriage work.
We're all broken. I know I don't share the negative aspects of myself online either but I do share them with the people who matter. If you know me pretty well you might know how much I struggle with anxiety. You may even be one of the lucky (and ever so patient) few who have talked me through a panic attack in the middle of the night.
I'm done playing the game. I want to read more, learn more, and become healthier both mentally and physically. I don't want to spend my time comparing myself to other people. I want to focus on how I can be a better person and make a positive impact on others.
0 comments:
Post a Comment