You know; I wasn't back on facebook more than 48 hours (after a month long facebook diet) and I found myself right back into the cycle that made me leave facebook in the first place.
That is the moment I realized I am suffering from a common ailment I have affectionately dubbed Comparitosis.
Comparitosis is both non-life threathening AND life threatening. It's a tricky little dis-ease that I estimate 90% of the human population suffers from without knowledge.
Comparitosis is a psychological dis-ease that encourages you to adopt false, negative beliefs about your self-worth and potential.
Flare ups of comparitosis can happen in an instant. You can be moving along, enjoying life, loving yourself when all of a sudden BAM! it hits you. Somebody else does or attains something you have always wanted to do or have and because you unknowingly suffer from comparitosis you immediately go into how you have nothing and the other person has everything or you are a nobody and the other person is a somebody.
My form of comparitosis flares up when I see someone achieving something I believe looks like success. Immediately my body turns hot and I feel overwhelmed by sadness at the things I am not successfully accomplishing.
Other forms of comparitosis involve but are not limited to material possessions, finances, career and family.
I'm beginning to understand my dis-ease as insanity and am working on controlling the flare ups before someone around here discovers I would be more comfortable in one of those little white jackets that buckles in the back and makes it so that I hug myself tightly.
Funny thing about comparitosis though, the minute you realize you have it. It kinda sorta goes into remission. I have suffered with this dis-ease of perception since I was a little girl and it wasn't until that moment on facebook that I realized it was affecting me on such an intense level.
I am learning as I go, but so far I have figured out a few things about how to reduce comparitosis flare ups and I thought I'd share them.
* Immediately remove yourself from the cause of the flare up. AKA turn off facebook or turn away from the conversation.
* Keep paper and pencil handy. When you discover yourself at the onset or in the middle of a comparitosis flare up, the best defense is to write down the comparison. example "Sally lost 25lbs in 1 month and I am still overweight and unhappy; I'll never lose weight".
* Take it to the next level. With the same pencil and paper, write down ALL of the things you can think of that you have accomplished in your lifetime (size does not matter, write it ALL down).
* Do the happy dance. Moving your body is like a reset button for the emotions and is a great way to celebrate your accomplishments. Once you have written down all of your accomplishments, turn on the music and dance around (again size does not matter, just move!).
I took these steps the other day in removing myself from a comparitosis episode and found that my list was really, really long. What I realized is that my accomplishments in my 39.7 years of being on this planet are probably more than most people would only dream of accomplishing.
Once my list was written I posted it on the refrigerator so that I can see it everyday. A great reminder of an accomplished woman who is working hard to free herself from the confines of comparitosis.
That is the moment I realized I am suffering from a common ailment I have affectionately dubbed Comparitosis.
Comparitosis is both non-life threathening AND life threatening. It's a tricky little dis-ease that I estimate 90% of the human population suffers from without knowledge.
Comparitosis is a psychological dis-ease that encourages you to adopt false, negative beliefs about your self-worth and potential.
Flare ups of comparitosis can happen in an instant. You can be moving along, enjoying life, loving yourself when all of a sudden BAM! it hits you. Somebody else does or attains something you have always wanted to do or have and because you unknowingly suffer from comparitosis you immediately go into how you have nothing and the other person has everything or you are a nobody and the other person is a somebody.
My form of comparitosis flares up when I see someone achieving something I believe looks like success. Immediately my body turns hot and I feel overwhelmed by sadness at the things I am not successfully accomplishing.
Other forms of comparitosis involve but are not limited to material possessions, finances, career and family.
I'm beginning to understand my dis-ease as insanity and am working on controlling the flare ups before someone around here discovers I would be more comfortable in one of those little white jackets that buckles in the back and makes it so that I hug myself tightly.
Funny thing about comparitosis though, the minute you realize you have it. It kinda sorta goes into remission. I have suffered with this dis-ease of perception since I was a little girl and it wasn't until that moment on facebook that I realized it was affecting me on such an intense level.
I am learning as I go, but so far I have figured out a few things about how to reduce comparitosis flare ups and I thought I'd share them.
* Immediately remove yourself from the cause of the flare up. AKA turn off facebook or turn away from the conversation.
* Keep paper and pencil handy. When you discover yourself at the onset or in the middle of a comparitosis flare up, the best defense is to write down the comparison. example "Sally lost 25lbs in 1 month and I am still overweight and unhappy; I'll never lose weight".
* Take it to the next level. With the same pencil and paper, write down ALL of the things you can think of that you have accomplished in your lifetime (size does not matter, write it ALL down).
* Do the happy dance. Moving your body is like a reset button for the emotions and is a great way to celebrate your accomplishments. Once you have written down all of your accomplishments, turn on the music and dance around (again size does not matter, just move!).
I took these steps the other day in removing myself from a comparitosis episode and found that my list was really, really long. What I realized is that my accomplishments in my 39.7 years of being on this planet are probably more than most people would only dream of accomplishing.
Once my list was written I posted it on the refrigerator so that I can see it everyday. A great reminder of an accomplished woman who is working hard to free herself from the confines of comparitosis.
