It’s no secret that what we see on Instagram isn’t always a perfect representation of reality.
Yet, we still let it bring us down everyday.
Last week, I was bombarded with spring break beach photos that took up my Instagram feed. I couldn’t help but compare myself to the girls in the photos, and I thought about how I could never look as good as them. Here are some of the ridiculous things that went through my mind:
“How did she get such a good tan? If it were me, my burnt skin would already be peeling.”
“If I tried to pose like that, it would look so awkward.”
“How can she have amazing boobs AND a perfect waist? I guess I was just born unlucky”.
This wasn’t the first time I compared myself to Instagram girls. There are countless times that I’ve scrolled through an influencer’s feed and noticed even the slightest things that made me more self-conscious. Perfect skin, a perfect body, amazing hair and perfect symmetry. It’s like a huge sense of jealousy and shame built up inside of me, convincing me that who I am is not enough.
In the past week or so, I decided that my bad habit of comparing myself to people on Instagram needed to stop. To help me through this, I considered a few things that I think everyone needs to know. Firstly, whenever we see a post on Instagram, we have to recognize that it may have gone through layers of filters and editing. Smoothing skin, brightening teeth, moving the waist in and even more than that can be done to a photo. Although I’m not against editing photos before posting them (I, myself, have smoothed out a few pimples in some of my pics), we need to recognize that instagram photos do not necessarily represent real life. Knowing this helps realize that no one’s body is perfect, and we can’t compare ourselves to distorted images that don’t speak for reality.
Another huge thing that has helped me stop comparing my body to others is turning my jealousy and self-loathing into admiration and positivity. Instead of looking at a girl’s Instagram post and being jealous and angry, I think about how great she looks. That way, it’s easier for me to avoid comparing myself to other girls. We have to accept that every girl’s body is different and all of us can look great in our own skin. When you display confidence and self-love, everybody can look amazing. And honestly, it feels so great to be hyping up other women instead of being jealous of them. That’s what Instagram is all about, anyway. It’s a platform for us to share what we love about ourselves and others.
It’s so easy to scroll through instagram every day and let ourselves feel like we’re not enough. But a simple change in attitude and an understanding that social media doesn’t represent reality can really help you build your confidence and become more body-positive. We all have our flaws, but everyone is special in their own way and Instagram should just be a way for us to show our uniquity.
Image Sources: Pexels.com