“Lifestyle” and the Cycle of Constant Self Improvement
In an age where we perpetuate the idea of always needing to be perfect, have things like bullet journaling, Pinterest, and lifestyle Youtube channels sent us into a spiral of constant self improvement?
1 out of 2 U.S. millennials use Pinterest every month, and 86% of those pinners use the website to “plan life moments, big and small.” Is it any wonder why we’re all trying so hard to make everything in our lives look perfect? In Pinterest world, perfection is the only thing that exists.
Scrolling through the outfits, cakes, and wedding decoration rabbit hole, I began listing all the things I wanted to improve on:
I want that outfit/style.
I need to make that recipe.
Oh, I need to start bullet journaling.
I clicked over to Youtube where I found whole channels telling me how I could decorate my very own bullet journal. Three hours later I was lost in a maze full of morning routine videos and lifestyle channels. It was at this point that I realized I had a lot to improve upon if I wanted the “perfect lifestyle.”
However, looking out the window, I saw my husband playing with our dog in the yard. The sun was shining, I had a lovely glass of tea on my desk, and all my loved ones were safe and healthy.
Your life may not look like a filtered Instagram picture, but it’s yours, and in that lies perfection.
How do you stop chasing a life that looks like a Pinterest picture?
1. Recognize that life is not perfect, and that is what makes it beautiful
Life is messy, disorganized, and sometimes looks like the inside of your purse or wallet. But, it’s in those moments of imperfection that we learn the biggest life lessons, meet the best people, and create the best memories.
2. Enjoy pictures online for their beauty, but don’t try to replicate them
I enjoy looking at Instagram and Pinterest for the aesthetically pleasing photos, and many other people do as well. However, it’s important to treat these photos like you would a movie; enjoy what you’re viewing, while still recognizing that it’s not real.
3. Use your own imagination
Remember when you were playing outside as a kid, and you could create an entire world all your own with some dirt and grass? There were no pictures of tree houses to compare to your own, and you didn’t think about your outfit at all.
You created your own games and they were the best games in the universe. Life was about using your imagination, and creating things that came from your own mind.
Get back in touch with that inner child. Live your life based on your own ideas and images, rather than always looking to other people.
You don’t have to ditch these websites for good, but use them just a little less often. In addition, try to change how you view them.
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