Your fool-proof guide to self-sabotage with Instagram

You want to know the fastest way to tank your confidence? Here’s your foolproof guide to self-sabotage with Instagram.

1. Check Instagram in the morning before you create something

Start your day by checking Instagram. Get a good look at everyone else's highlight reel before you’ve even had your coffee. Let their filtered perfection seep into your brain and set the tone for the day. Who needs a morning routine when you can feel inadequate by 7 AM?

2. Check Instagram while you’re reading

Why focus on expanding your mind when you can interrupt your flow with endless scrolling? Every few pages, check your feed. Compare your life to the curated bullshit others are posting. Lose track of what you’re reading and fill your head with noise.

3. Check Instagram while you’re writing

Nothing kills creativity faster than distraction. Every time you’re on a roll, stop and scroll. Compare your draft to someone’s polished post. Doubt yourself, second-guess every word, and watch your writing productivity plummet. Perfect way to destroy your momentum.

4. Follow pretty “inspirational” accounts

Fill your feed with pretty faces and “influencers” who’ve mastered the art of looking effortlessly amazing. Measure your worth against their staged lives. Feel your self-esteem drop as you wonder why you can’t look that good or live that way. Pro tip: the more vapid the content, the better.

5. Scroll Instagram when you’re bored

You’ve got downtime? Perfect. Instead of doing something productive or relaxing, just scroll. Let the endless feed of other people’s achievements and adventures remind you of everything you’re not doing. Feel the FOMO and let it crush your spirit.

Look, we all know the game. For most people, social media is a highlight reel, a carefully curated gallery of moments that don’t reflect real life. But if you want to torpedo your confidence, just follow these steps religiously.

Or, you know, you could not do that.

Here’s a Crazy Idea:

• Create before you consume.

• Focus on your work without distractions.

• Read and write without letting the noise in.

• Follow accounts that educate you or give you ideas you can use

• Use your downtime to actually relax or do something meaningful.

Stop letting Instagram run your life. Use it as a tool, not a yardstick for your self-worth.

You’re better than that.

Now get out there and create something awesome.