5 minute read
Bodyzone
THE CURSE OF comparison
WHEN SCROLLING THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA PAGES, IT’S NOT UNCOMMON TO START FEELING THAT EVERYONE ELSE’S LIFE LOOKS PERFECT. IT’S IMPORTANT TO PUT IT IN PERSPECTIVE, SAYS ANDREA OAKES.
Reading news of yet another 70%-plus score or a national championship qualification can soon cast a shadow across our own achievements. And while we may be happy enough with our set up, things can has taken a rider to reach that point and the many sacrifices, suddenly pale into insignificance when we see someone mistakes and negative modelling their fabulous new riding boots or marvelling at emotions along the way.” the five star potential of the latest addition to their string. Lynn stresses the importance of understanding
Ideally, we’d be big enough to brush off why equestrian athletes use social media. these distractions and wish our friends “Many are aiming to publicise their and fellow competitors well. Facebook and Instagram pages can be a great place IMPORTANTLY, sponsors and attract new clients,” she says, pointing out that making to share ideas and a valuable source WE SHOULDN’T things look easy is good for business. of inspiration and support, after all, “To promote breeding, professionals strengthening our equestrian community. COMPARE showcase their ashiest horses; to So how can we control any feelings of advertise training, they only mention inadequacy and self-doubt to maintain a OURSELVES their most successful clients. healthy relationship with social media? TO THOSE WE “We’re constantly told that winning isn’t everything – it’s all about the KEEPING PERSPECTIVE According to chartered psychologist Dr SEE ON SOCIAL learning and experience,” adds Lynn. “Yet very few athletes openly ynn al facebook r ynn al , the key is to recognise social media posts for what MEDIA acknowledge their mistakes and weaknesses or mention poor results. they really are: a snapshot in time. Some do aim to help others and provide “It’s common to feel that insight into areas such as fitness, diet the grass is always greener, but it’s and mental health, but most social media posts involve vital to keep perspective,” she perfect pictures, high percentages and thank yous to says. “When we see a post about owners and sponsors.” a big win, we’re witnessing If we fail to recognise that these pages are a carefully the results of five to eight edited shop window’, explains ynn, we can minutes of competition. start to feel that our lives don’t measure up. What we fail to see is “Some riders use what they see on social media as an the months and years it excuse for not performing, pointing out If I had ,
or Z, then of course I would do well,” she adds. “With regards to goal setting, in a perfect world we would take responsibility for ourselves and ask: ‘What am I not doing ’ ften, what happens is we fi nd an excuse to justify why we’re not achieving. Constant comparison and excuse making can lead to a downwards spiral, as our self esteem and confi dence start to suff er and we indulge in negative self talk.”
It’s not just what we see of others that can dent our positivity. Creating our own presence on social media where we only show the best of ourselves brings the constant requirement to live up to expectations.
A PROACTIVE APPROACH
By developing a clear understanding of who we want to follow and why, we can make more proactive choices about social media use, explains ynn. “Psychologists often say that we can’t control what happens to us, only how we react,”
TAKE A BREAK
“Social media can present a distorted vision,” says British Dressage UKCC level three coach Alison Short. “The picture you see doesn’t always tell the story. “It may appear that other riders have more horses and more opportunities, looking at their latest successes on social media, and it’s true that some people in the equestrian industry are privileged,” she says. “But it’s important to focus on your own journey. There’s often more skill in being able to cope with life’s highs and lows and I remind my clients that they’re learning something from every single experience – good or bad.”
Alison suggests putting a time limit on browsing, or taking a complete break from social media if you feel that it’s having a negative effect on your outlook.
she says. “We can control how we react to social media posts. We can think more carefully about what we’re looking for, whether that’s inspiration, motivation or escapism, and select what we see – unfollowing sites or blocking posts that we know will leave us feeling less than positive.” Before scrolling randomly, make sure you’re in the right frame of mind to check in with news from friends and connections. And be clear about what you want to achieve when you put up your own posts. Are you doing something because you really enjoy it, or just to get the photo you need to maintain your online persona?
“Importantly, we shouldn’t compare ourselves to those we see on social media,” stresses Lynn. “We only see a glimpse of an athlete’s life, yet we’re tempted to compare despite diff erences in areas such as age, training, fi nances and equipment.
“ emember, every horse and rider is diff erent,” she adds. “Use social media for communication and for ideas and advice, but not as a means of monitoring your own progress. For a clearer measure of improvement, keep a training diary or look back at older pictures and videos to see how far you’ve come.”