In this solo episode, Katie discusses comparison and what research says about why we compare ourselves to others and how we can let go of comparison.

When is the last time you compared yourself to others?

We’ve all heard the saying, comparison is the thief of joy-well, This episode is all about reclaiming your peace and joy from the trap of comparison!

So why do we compare? Research says a lot about this! A study all the way back to 1954 by Leon Festinger, tells us that it’s part of our human nature to evaluate ourselves. This study tells us that it can give us a sense of belonging and help to gauge success.

We can compare in two different ways:

upward comparison- Ie. You view someone as better than you are

downward comparison- you view someone as worse off than you are or less than you.

There are a few psychological functions that happen when we compare: when we compare to someone worse off than us it can give us a boost in our self esteem. Comparing to someone we view as better than us can give us self- motivation, or inspire us to improve ourselves (Krizan, Z, 2018).

Another big reason why we compare so much is social media! Research shows that social media often leads to upward comparisons. These types of upward comparisons can lower our self- esteem and mental health and it can lead to envy, depression, and seeking validation from others.

When we start going down the road of envying someone else for how they look, of what they have, or what their circumstances are- we lose our sense of our unique purpose, sight of what our strengths are and essentially we start to lose ourselves. Seeking validation from others will lead us to trying to prove our worth to other people and then in turn it can

A study by Vogel, 2014 found that consistent social media users tend to have lower levels of self- esteem.

Ways to let go of comparison:

Practice Gratitude (Emmons, R).
Be aware of your environment and who you surround yourself with
Limit social media use or make changes to the accounts you follow
Setting goals for yourself that focus on self- growth, purpose and connection (Deci & Ryan).

All this to say, I encourage you to slow down and be aware of when you are comparing yourself. Ask yourself, what areas of life do you most often compare yourself in? What would I pursue if I wasn’t trying to catch up with where everyone else is or trying to impress others?

Think about those questions this week and let go of the load of comparison! You are not competing with anyone- life is not a race, it’s a journey. Enjoy the moments and the journey and do not let comparison steal your joy!!

Research:

Emmons, R. (2010). Why Gratitude is Good. Retrieved from https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/why_gratitude_is_good

Festinger, L. (1954) A Theory of Social Comparison Processes. Human Relations, 7, 117-140. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/001872675400700202

Vogel, Erin & Rose, Jason & Roberts, Lindsay & Eckles, Katheryn. (2014). Social Comparison, Social Media, and Self-Esteem. Psychology of Popular Media Culture. 3. 206-222. 10.1037/ppm0000047

Krizan, Z. (2018, March 28). Social Comparison. Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Psychology. Retrieved 29 May. 2025, from https://oxfordre.com/psychology/view/10.1093/acrefore/9780190236557.001.0001/acrefore-9780190236557-e-251.