Do You Have the Instagram Blues?

Just by looking at my social media, it’s easy to assume all I do is workout, eat healthy and take selfies. But the truth is, eating healthy and working out is part of my lifestyle, not WHO I am. I think all too often, we judge people based off of the little information we glean from their Instagram or Facebook.

We glorify people who may not be very kind. A fit girl we look up to posts a picture of her body and we beat ourselves up because we aren’t that lean or defined. Someone posts about their new Fendi handbag and we get depressed because we don’t feel like we’re successful enough.

We need to cut it the heck out!

People often assume things about me based on the things I post, like I’m obsessed with physical fitness, or that I’m positive all the time, but that’s not always true.

I’m a normal girl… I binge-watch Netflix.. I love hiking and riding my horse.. sometimes I’m shy and socially awkward (ok, most of the time).. I love cute animal videos (especially ones of pugs or elephants).. I used to collect snails from my Mom’s garden and keep them as pets.. I’m the girl that says “I don’t care” when asked where we should go to eat, but deep down I know where I want to go, I just don’t want to say it and have everyone not like my choice.. I love Dragon Ball Z.. I hate the color orange.. I’m super accident prone (I threw my neck out by tightening a ponytail band once).. I always have candles burning in the evening because I find them soothing. I swear like a sailor and I’m a super lazy procrastinator. My sense of humor is usually “inappropriate.” I’m weird and quirky. And like anyone, I make mistakes and I have flaws. I’m human!

The point is, you can’t sum up a person’s entire identity by stalking their Instagram account. There are real people behind the pages that you follow. Those people make mistakes, they have secrets, they have likes and dislikes… they’re REAL.

That’s why it’s so important that you NOT beat yourself up for how you look or how your life is going by comparing yourself to others. A person’s highlight reel (ie. IG) isn’t going to look like your behind-the-scenes. What it boils down to is this…the only comparison you should be making is to who you were yesterday. Worry about bettering yourself for your own sake…because you’re freaking cool, dude! Which doesn’t mean you can’t still appreciate the posts and pictures of other people, but stop with the comparisons! You don’t need to be like anyone else, because you’re rad all on your own.

Here are some absolutely normal, non-fitness related pictures of me that you probably haven’t seen before… =)