If You Feel Like You're Falling Behind, Read This

You open your phone and it feels like everyone is thriving.New jobs. Perfect relationships. Pilates bodies. Cute apartments filled with vintage furniture and plants that aren't dying.

Meanwhile, you’re debating whether cereal counts as dinner (it does) and convincing yourself that surviving another day of late-stage capitalism counts as a win (it really, really does).

Here’s your first reminder:

Social media is a highlight reel, not a life resume.

A 2023 study from the Royal Society for Public Health actually linked Instagram with higher rates of anxiety, depression, and FOMO among young adults. Which basically means: feeling like crap while scrolling is a feature, not a bug.

You are not falling behind. You are simply living outside the Pinterest filter. And that’s a lot more real - and a lot braver - than it looks.

Here's the thing about comparison:

Comparison will convince you that you’re the only one flailing — that everyone else has a five-year plan, matching placemats, and emotional stability. But behind the curated brunch dates and work promotions?

Most people are still googling "what am I doing with my life" at 1 AM in the dark. (Statistically speaking, most 20-somethings experience at least one major "quarter-life crisis" moment - you're literally textbook.)

You're not late, and you're not a failure. You’re just living in a world that celebrates "finished" stories and ignores the messy, brave middle chapters.

• You’ve survived 100% of your worst days.

  
  

• You keep trying even when it feels pointless sometimes.

  
  

• You celebrate other people’s wins even when you're hurting (iconic behaviour, honestly).

  
  

• You’re learning what you want instead of just copying what looks shiny.

  
  

• You showed up today. Full stop. That’s huge.

  
  

Real success isn’t a photo dump. It’s the tiny things nobody claps for - getting out of bed when you don’t want to, texting a friend back even when you're emotionally fried, choosing rest over burnout.

Before You Log Off Feeling Like a Flop:

Next time it feels like everyone else is sprinting past you, remember:

The goal isn’t to win faster. The goal is to live more deeply.

And no aesthetic morning routine or dreamy apartment will ever beat becoming someone who is soft, steady, and still standing - even when it’s hard.

You’re not behind, you’re not broken, and you’re not alone. You’re just building something real. And honestly? That’s the biggest flex of all.