Amrit discusses the pressures of social media, and how focusing on yourself (and not comparing to others) is key to living the best version of you.
In a world dominated by social media, influencer culture and maintaining a certain ‘aesthetic’, it is inevitable that you may feel a certain pressure to conform to certain societal standards. But what is the point of being anyone if you can’t be yourself?
It happens to all of us at times. Mindlessly scrolling through Instagram daily to pass time and stumbling across people who seem to have their lives perfectly put together. A big following, out every night with a huge group of friends, the perfect relationship, it seems that some people have it all. This can lead you spiralling into self-doubt and, before you know it, you’re buying clothes that aren’t your style at all, and filling your life with meaningless interactions, draining your social battery doing things you might not even enjoy.
When this happens, centring yourself can seem like an impossible feat, but it is key to avoid a toxic loophole. Taking some time to think to yourself ‘what do I really enjoy doing, and what is best for me?’ is undeniably beneficial. ‘The noise’ in the media and in our everyday lives can force us into a lifestyle not suited for us, which could be harmful in the long term. The need for validation and to prove via social media that we are ‘living our best lives’ is subconsciously always there, and I don’t think that our peers address this enough.
So how do you find yourself amongst the noise? Throwing yourself into your hobbies and passions, no matter how conventional or unconventional they may be, is what I found to help me the most. Want to join a society or partake in a sport but held off because none of your friends want to? Go alone and you will have the opportunity to meet new like-minded people! Spending time with people who support your endeavours and surrounding yourself with those who have your best interests at heart will only benefit you, and it is with these people that you will thrive to become your best self.
Saying no when you want to is also key to living a healthy lifestyle. The pressure to go out every night spurred by FOMO and wanting to emulate an influencer-like lifestyle is higher than ever. And let’s face it – we’ve just come out of lockdown, and with everything opening up again of course we want to make the most of it. But social burnout is a thing, and it is heavy, so don’t be too hard on yourself and only go out when you want to, on your terms doing things you like!
If you take anything from this article, I hope that it is that you should always aim to just be yourself. Whilst you may feel alone amidst the pressure to live up to a certain standard, influencer culture and aiming to ‘live your best life’ effects everyone – people are just too afraid to admit it.