Happy, Not Perfect- How To Battle The Instagram Comparison Game

Happy, Not Perfect. How To Battle The Instagram Comparison Game.

Oversized T-Shirt | Ivory Skinny Jeans | Snakeskin Sandals

My New Year’s resolution was to lead a more intentional life in all aspects, including with this blog. (You can read more about that HERE.) I’ve found myself straying a few times, but I’m back and committed to filling it with purpose, intention, inspiration, and my truth. The good, the bad, and the ugly.

I started the blog as a strictly fashion space. I was no longer working as a stylist, due to having my babies. Being away from them for those long hours no longer made sense for me. This was an outlet to still “style” and have a creative outlet. For that reason, the fashion will always be a part of it for me. It’s what I get most excited about still. It’s just not all of who I am, or the direction I wanted my brand to be. Sharing some fashion inspiration with some soulful food for thought seems more fulfilling and truthful for me.

In this crazy day in age, social media has become omnipresent in our lives. There are so many things I absolutely love about blogging and being a part of the blogging community. However, I find myself struggling with playing the Instagram comparison game. It’s a struggle for everyone, but in this industry it is amplified. “How does she have more followers than me?” “More “likes?” “Work with that brand?” “Always seem to have it together?” “Have that new bag?” The list is endless.

The other day, I attended a panel where Mary with Happily Grey and Rachel Zeilic spoke. These women were inspiring, to say the least, but there was one line that Rachel said that I just couldn’t get out of my head. She was speaking on the affects that growing up in the social media age has on young children and teenagers. The emotional and mental toll it takes on them, and an app her friend was developing to combat that called, “happy, not perfect.”

Happy, not perfect. Happy, not perfect. Happy, not perfect. I’ve taken this and made it my mantra. I find myself repeating it in my head over and over when I start to catch my self sliding down the slippery slope of the Instagram comparison game.

Do you catch yourself trying to make every little detail perfect? I do. Or I try to make it appear that way. It’s exhausting. Perfection can be the thief of your happiness. Don’t let it.

We put the importance of “perfection” (whatever we conceive that to be) above the importance of happiness. How crazy is that? I’m breaking the cycle. Now I do believe that you can have everything you put your mind to and want out of life. BUT, the constant need for perfection is simply unhealthy.

How To Battle The Instagram Comparison Game

1. Gratitude. Keep a gratitude journal. Say things you are grateful to have or be out loud to your significant other or kids. Trey and I sometimes lay in bed and tell each other things that we are grateful for and things we would like to achieve. Pretty powerful!

2. Take a break. Spend a weekend IG free. Put all devices up for dinner time. Go on a vacation and leave your phone in the hotel room. It’s harder to do than you may think, but so important. (I spend significantly less time on social media on the weekends or at least one day of the weekend.) Put that attention you would be giving your phone into your family or a hobby.

3. Talk yourself off the ledge. Keep in mind, bloggers are paid to essentially create “ads.” Now, I for one, NEVER promote something I would not truly used or haven’t tried and love. BUT, once I do, I stage things in a way to capture attention. No my living room isn’t always perfect. (Even though it appears that way in an IG photo.) HECK NO, my hair and makeup doesn’t look like this walking around my house every day with a baby on each hip. (Thank you Cali Jeffries for making this mama feel like a million bucks for this STAGED photoshoot for this post though!)

4. Repeat this mantra to yourself. “Happy, not perfect.” What makes you happy? Put your focus on that. Attack this world and go after all the things you want, but don’t lose your happy spark in the rat race.

Big thanks to everyone that reaches out and appreciates the staged pictures that take an immense amount of time and effort and also accepts the real life behind the squares.