Day 9: The Bad Habit Hit List: A Countdown to Unf*cking Your Life, One Crappy Habit at a Time
#7. Comparing Yourself to Others: Stop comparing your life to their Instagram feed
Imagine waking up, stretching, and feeling vaguely okay about your life…
…and then—boom—you make the fatal mistake of opening Instagram.
Suddenly, Karen is in Bali, sipping a neon-pink dragon fruit smoothie that looks like it was handcrafted by the gods of influencer culture.
And you?
You’re standing in your kitchen, wearing the same, donkey-eared, Eeyore pyjamas you’ve had since 2013, debating whether it’s socially acceptable to eat leftover pizza for breakfast.
Welcome to the Comparison Olympics—a sport where nobody wins, but everyone goes home feeling slightly worse about themselves.
Why we do this to ourselves
We’re wired for comparison.
Back in the day, it was a survival thing—like, "Dave has fire, I have no fire. I want fire."
Now?
It’s "Karen has abs, a husband chiselled from granite, and a fridge that looks like a dream Pinterest board…
…I have… existential dread and some questionable hummus."
Social media amplifies this nonsense tenfold.
People only post their highlight reels, and yet we compare them to our behind-the-scenes chaos.
It’s like watching a movie trailer and assuming the entire film is just as thrilling—it’s not.
The hidden costs of constant comparison
You’re measuring your life against fiction.
Karen didn’t post about her 3 a.m. breakdown over her taxes, did she?
Nope, just the avocado toast.It’s a guaranteed way to feel like crap.
Comparing yourself to someone’s curated reality is like racing against a hologram—you’re never going to win.You lose time and energy.
Instead of doing cool things with your own life, you’re doom-scrolling and spiralling into self-loathing.
Fun!
How to break the cycle (before you lose your shit)
1. You’re Comparing Fallen Apples to Airbrushed Oranges
Social media isn’t real life.
Everyone is showcasing their best bits, filtered to perfection.
Nobody is posting their bad angles, their rejection emails, or their crying-while-eating-scrapings-from-last-nights-dishes moments.
2. Limit the Mindless Scrolling
If every time you open an app, you start hating your own existence, maybe—just maybe—it’s time to use it less.
Or, at the very least, curate your feed to follow people who make you feel inspired instead of inadequate.
3. Focus on Your Own Damn Journey
Comparison is a trap, because we all have different timelines.
Just because Karen got married at 25 doesn’t mean you’re failing if you’re still single at 35.
Just because Steve from school is a millionaire now, doesn’t mean your future isn’t just as bright.
Timing is different for everyone.
4. Celebrate Your Own Wins (Even the Tiny Ones)
Did you finally fold your laundry, instead of letting it sit in a chair for a week, or hung on your treadmill-that-you-absolutely-will-use-one-day?
A victory!
Managed to drink water instead of just surviving on coffee and vibes?
Incredible.
Acknowledging your own progress shifts your focus from “what they have” to “what I’m doing.”
5. Remember: Karen’s Life Isn’t Perfect Either
Karen has problems too—she’s just not posting about them.
Maybe her Bali trip is maxed out on credit.
Maybe she’s also sitting there, scrolling your feed, thinking “Wow, I wish I had their life.”
Final thought: The only person you should compare yourself to… is past you
Instead of getting lost in someone else’s highlight reel, look at how far you have come.
Are you better than you were a year ago?
A month ago?
Even a week ago?
That’s the only progress that matters.
Now, go eat that leftover pizza for breakfast, guilt-free, you animal!
Next up in The Bad Habit Hit List:
#6. Compulsive Online Shopping
“No, you don’t need that boobie-shaped mug”
(and yes, I still want the mug).