What is the commandment? Thou shalt not covet they neighbor’s __________. There are at least two of those not coveting commandments that go pretty far back in history. Is coveting or comparing so bad? I guess that depends on how you feel when you covet, who you covet, or what you covet.
This email was inspired by a conversation between Dr. Andrew Huberman and Dr. Mark D’Esposito: How to Optimize Cognitive Function & Brain Health. There was one section where they referred to your overall health status as it relates to your social status or “perceived” social status. It got me thinking about today’s topic.
You see I compare all the time, as do you, it’s just human nature. I take the commandments as reminders to put all that comparing into perspective. Let me give you some examples of how to use comparison in a positive way.
- I compare my bodyfat percentage to other extremely healthy adult males in my age group to see if I need to make any changes in my lifestyle to meet my health goal of being fit as a 90 y.o.
- I watch American Ninja Warrior, the Crossfit Games, Strongman competitions while I exercise to motivate me to squeeze out one more rep at the end of my set to help get me closer tio my goals.
- I may catch a peek of the other people in my yoga class to see if I’m holding a pose correctly.
These are all examples of how you can use comparison to drive you to be better. Think of what would happen to your health if you took those same situations but had a different mindset.
- I don’t want to know my bodyfat percentage because it would depress me to see how far I have to go to get to where I want.
- I see young, healthy athletes competing and taking on extraordinary tasks but I can’t do those things, I must suck.
- OMG, look at Bill, he’s older than me and he can hold a side plank so much longer than me, I’m just going to stay home next week.
You can see your mindset plays role when using comparison to others. Unfortunately, if you are managing depression, anxiety, or just a negative mindset in certain situations, avoiding comparison may be the best way to deal with it. That is simply not human nature though. In the world of instagram, facebook and fake AI generated ads that show you the the fittest, hottest, richest, smartest people in the world (fake or not), comparison can be harsh.
So what do you do?
- Work on a mindset that allows for some healthy comparisons to be used as a motivator rather than a depressor.
- Put down your freaking phone and minimize the social media madness.
- As my Yoga teacher states each week, listen to your body and “BE KIND TO YOURSELF”. Do what you can do on any given day and that’s enough.
- Know that it’s more likely than not that you don’t want to switch shoes with anyone else. You have no idea what other issues that fit/hot/wealthy instagram influencer’s life is ACTUALLY like. They have just as many or more issues than you do.
I happen to love this quote…”The only person you should compare yourself to is who you were yesterday” – I encourage you to make something, even the smallest thing in your life a little bit better today yet still have the self compassion required to understand that you will never achieve perfection.
Want some health moving the needle towards BETTER? Let me know.
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Yours in health,
