Comparison is the thief of all joy. Whether we are talking about Labor Day weekend plans, or e-learning setups, or if your tiny backyard garden generated any edible tomatoes this year, your mental health is affected by comparing.

Instagram and other social media especially makes this hard. Instead of formulating the thought “I'm really glad that family could take in that beautiful sunset together”, it is easier to think “We haven't seen a sunset as a family all year! How do I find a place to catch a good sunset in this city?” Comparison makes it harder to be happy for others and content with ourselves.

Coupled with that is the current state of the pandemic, where different folks have different levels of access to safe places and different comfort levels being outside of their own homes. Seeing others can make us question our own choices or be disappointed in our own abilities.

In short, maybe give yourself more grace. Try to feel thankful for your own experiences and happy for others. As we know, they are likely feeling the same about you at some level.

Take care of each other.