We have more time now than ever to hop online. Pre-Corona, our phones and our hands were besties, chatting most days and socialising together at the weekend. But somewhere Mid-Corona, they got married! For better or for worse. We are hooked. The commitment is real.
And my goodness aren’t we grateful for d’internet right now! It’s keeping us occupied and entertained with hilarious memes, inspiring posts, good news stories, never-ending (and then all-of-a-sudden-ending!) Netflix episodes and series, and gas Gibberish filters. It’s also keeping us connected with our friends and family, from Zoom calls and Google Hangouts, to Snapchat and Insta stories. It’s a whole lotta content. And it IS our playground right now. Everything we’re seeing, watching, and hearing, IS our community, and it’s influencing us. For better or for worse.
From banana bread bake-offs on Instagram, to family dance challenges on TikTok, and enough home workouts to give Pretty Little Liars a run for their money! (160 episodes in total). And it’s all great for the most part. But for some of us, all of this content might start to become just a bit too much. Here’s why:
According to Social Comparison Theory, we are programmed to compare ourselves to others to see how we stack up. We look to others, mostly those who are similar to us, to see how we’re doing in life. Comparison itself is not a bad thing, but how we judge ourselves ON the comparison can be. If we’re feeling insecure or unsure about who we are or what we’re doing in comparison to our fellows, we might be left feeling pretty crap about ourselves.
So here’s your permission slip:
“You don’t have to be doing all the things”,
Signed,
The Shona Project
You are enough, just as you are. You’re doing enough, for you. You’re doing the right things, for you. Even when that’s “nothing”. Because when we’re doing “nothing”, we’re also thinking, and reassessing, learning and unlearning, observing, creating, and allowing ourselves to feel. These are all vitally important things to experience.
So the next time your gremlin sneaks in, trying to tell you that you’re not enough, that you’re not doing enough, not exciting enough, not intelligent enough, not pretty, skinny, or crafty enough…thanks, but no thanks. Mic drop.
