Welcome to your social media comparison cleanse.
This is your moment to unplug from everyone else's highlight reel and come home to yourself.
Find a comfortable position,
Sitting or laying down.
Let your hands rest softly.
If you haven't yet,
You can close your eyes or gaze down.
Take a slow,
Deep breath in through your nose.
And exhale out your mouth with a sigh.
And again,
Breathe in,
Filling your belly,
Your ribs,
Your chest.
And exhale,
Letting your shoulders drop,
Your jaw unclench,
And your body soften.
If your phone is nearby,
Imagine it on airplane mode.
For these next few moments,
You don't have to respond,
Perform,
Or scroll.
There is nowhere else you need to be right now but here.
Notice any lingering images or stories from social media floating in your mind.
Other people's vacations,
Bodies,
Careers,
Homes,
Families,
Achievements.
Without judgment,
Just notice them.
See them like bubbles drifting through your awareness.
Now take a deep breath in.
And as you exhale,
Imagine those bubbles slowly popping and dissolving into light.
Letting go of the pressure to keep up,
Catch up,
Or be further along.
Bring your attention now to your heart space.
Feel your hand resting there.
Feel your own warmth,
Your own pulse,
Your own life.
And gently say to yourself in your mind,
My life is not a highlight reel.
My pace is my own.
Who I am now is enough.
Breathe those words in.
Let them land in your body.
And with your next inhale,
Breathe in self-acceptance.
And on your exhale,
Release comparison.
Inhale,
I come back to me.
Exhale,
I release everyone else's expectations.
If it feels good,
Bring to mind one thing you genuinely appreciate about your life right now.
Something real,
Something simple,
Something true.
It might be your resilience,
Your sense of humor,
Your creativity,
Growth,
Or just the fact that you showed up for this practice.
Let that appreciation grow a little brighter in your heart.
You are not behind.
You are not less than.
You are whole,
Living,
Evolving human,
Not just a static square on a screen.
Take one more deep breath in,
Filling up with enoughness.
And exhale,
Sending away any leftover comparison,
Pressure,
Or self-judgment.
When you're ready,
Wiggle your fingers and toes,
Roll your shoulders gently,
And slowly flutter your eyes open,
Bringing this grounded presence and this version of you back into your day.
Remember,
You can always take this kind of pause.
You can always unplug from the noise and plug back in to you.
You got this,
My friend.
