5. How to Stop Comparing Yourself to That Perfect Instagram Mom

Do you ever find yourself scrolling through Instagram, wondering how she does it all? You know the one—her spotless house, thriving business, and perfect family. Meanwhile, you’re just trying to keep your toddler from eating crayons and survive the day without crying. Sound familiar? 

In this episode of Caffeinated Chaos, we’re tackling the comparison trap head-on. Social media might show us highlight reels of perfection, but they don’t tell the whole story. It’s time to stop chasing someone else’s version of success and start celebrating your own beautifully messy, one-of-a-kind life.  

Key Takeaways:  

• The mom you’re comparing yourself to has struggles too, even if you don’t see them.  
• Your journey is uniquely yours, and that’s what makes it beautiful.  
• You are enough. Right now. Just as you are.  

Let’s Connect!  
If this episode resonated with you, share it with a friend who could use the reminder: You are enough. 

We’d love to hear about your wins this week—big or small! Tag us on Instagram or Threads and let us celebrate with you. Don’t forget to subscribe to Caffeinated Chaos for more episodes about thriving in the chaos of business and parenthood. 

Until next time, remember: The only person you need to compare yourself to is the one you were yesterday. Your life is beautifully messy, and that’s perfectly okay. 

P.S. Don’t forget your coffee. You’ve got this! ☕

Cheers! Thank you for joining us for another episode. Have a chaotic moment, question, or topic you want us to cover? Drop us a message or leave a review! If you loved this episode, share it with a friend who thrives in beautiful chaos too.

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• Connect with us via email at ccpodcast@aguonstudios.com
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Resources:

• Goal-Setting Template
• Podcasters Monthly Networking Meets
• Balancing Business Growth and Parenthood Workbook

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Transcript

0:35

Do you ever scroll through Instagram and wonder, how does she do it all? I mean, you're just trying to keep your toddler from eating crayons and getting through the workday without crying. Sound familiar? Well, today we're diving into why comparing yourself to that perfect Instagram mom is nothing but a recipe for burnout. And how to break free from the comparison trap once and for all. I know the feeling. You're scrolling through Instagram, you're trying to unwind, and then you see her. The perfect mom, with the perfect family, the spotless house, the thriving business. I know. Meanwhile, you're over here trying to remember if you brushed your toddler's teeth today, surrounded by piles of laundry, and wondering why your life doesn't look like hers. Well, here's the thing, it's not real. What we see on social media is nothing but highlight reels. It's not the whole story. So today we're going to be talking about why falling into this comparison trap is doing nothing but hurting us and how breaking free and focusing on our own amazing, beautiful lives will bring us so much joy. Okay. There's a lot to talk about, so let's start by unpacking this whole comparison thing. Why don't we? Okay. One, it's human nature. Our brains are wired to compare. It's how we evaluate whether we, it's how we evaluate where we stand in the world. Back in the day, it was for survival. But now, let's be honest, makes us feel like we're not enough. And social media tends to make it worse. With just a few taps, we're bombarded with carefully curated snapshots of other people's lives like it's a gallery of perfectionism. We see their wins, their best angles, their Pinterest worthy homes, but not the messy stuff behind the scenes. It's like looking at someone's vacation photos and thinking that that's everyday life. And, again, SPOILER ALERT, it's not. At all. Here's why this is such a problem. Comparison, it steals our joy. It takes us away from the pride. It takes us away from the pride that we feel for our own accomplishments and what makes us question if we're doing enough. Whether we're enough and as working parents We're especially vulnerable to this idea because we're already juggling So so much we compare ourselves to the moms and dads who stay home full time to business owners without kids You To influencers who have entire teams behind them. But here's the truth. When you're busy comparing yourself to everyone else, you're too distracted to see how far you have come. You're chasing someone else's vision of success instead of celebrating your own. How does that make you feel? If you're ready to stop the spiral scroll and start focusing on your journey, Here are some actionable steps for you to take. Curate your feed. First things first, unfollow and mute anyone who makes you feel less than. Personally, I would just unfollow. I wouldn't even mute them. I would just unfollow them. It doesn't matter if they're a friend, a mom influencer, or a business guru. If the content that you are absorbing from them makes you feel bad about yourself, honey, it's time to hit that unfollow button. And on the flip side, I want you to fill your feed with accounts that inspire and uplift you. Follow people who are real, who share the messy parts of their lives, and who remind you that you're doing just fine, like this podcast. Okay, shameless plug aside, I still want you to follow accounts that make you feel good about yourself. Two. Remember, That social media is a highlight reel. So the next time you catch yourself comparing to someone while you're scrolling Instagram, remind yourself that what you're seeing is not the whole story. The perfect mom with a spotless house? Yeah, she probably shoved all her laundry into the closet before taking that photo. It's not real. 3. Celebrate your wins. Instead of focusing on what you don't have, take a moment to celebrate what you do. This is where I want you to grab some pen and paper, Or the notes app, or come back to me. But I want you to write down three things that you did this week that you are extremely proud of. They may be big, they may be small. Maybe it's landing a new client. Maybe it's making it through a tantrum without losing your cool. Maybe it's the laundry. Can you tell that I have a lot of laundry? I keep mentioning it. Whatever it is, I want you to celebrate it. Four. Focus on progress, not perfection. You'll hear me say this a lot, perfection is an illusion, my friend. Instead of striving for someone else's idea of perfection, I want you to focus on your progress of your own journey. Take a small step that you can do today to move towards your goal. Not perfection, just progress. Five. Practice gratitude. And give yourself some grace, hon. When you're feeling stuck in the comparison trap, gratitude is your secret weapon. Take a moment to look around and appreciate what you have. Look at the people who love you, the work you're passionate about, the life that you're building. You're doing great. Okay, let me say this loud and clear for everyone in the back. You are doing enough, and you are enough. Alright, repeat after me. You are doing enough, and you are enough. That mom you're comparing yourself to, she has her struggles too, don't get me wrong. You And even if we don't see them, she does. That picture perfect life that you think you're chasing, it's not as perfect as it looks. Your journey is uniquely yours. Like mine is uniquely mine. And no one's path is going to look like somebody else's. They don't have your mix of your talents, your challenges, your dreams, your past histories. That's for you. So next time you find yourself scrolling and comparing, I want you to do this. I want you to stop, put your phone away, and remind yourself, I am enough. I am doing enough. My life is beautifully messy and that's okay. Alright friends, I hope you take a moment this week to celebrate your wins, whether they are small or big and let go of the need to constantly measure up to someone else's ideal of perfectionism, because you are enough. Alright, if you've enjoyed this episode, please share it with someone who needs this reminder. And if you need someone to celebrate your wins with you, please reach out to us. You can find us on threads and Instagram And don't forget to hit that subscribe button as well. Until next time, remember, the only person you need to be comparing yourself to is the person you were yesterday your beautiful, messy life is perfectly okay, and it's wonderful. Alright my friends, I will see you next week. I have to go find my coffee. It's around here somewhere. Bye!