Why Your Brain Is Wired for Comparison & How to Unplug It

Embrace Your Real

Julie Ledbetter

Health & Fitness, Fitness, Body, Mindset, Movement, Health, Acceptance, Macros, Love, Positivity, Nutrition, Loss, Weight

5 • 965 Ratings

🗓️ 14 August 2025

⏱️ 13 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Hey beautiful human 💛

Let’s talk about something that messes with all of us: comparison.

You’re feeling good, you’re proud of your progress… and then one scroll later, you see someone else’s abs, perfect kitchen, or gym PR, and suddenly, you’re second-guessing everything.

Sound familiar?

In today’s episode, I’m breaking down why your brain does this (yes, there’s science behind it), how it messes with your confidence, and most importantly, three mindset shifts that’ll help you stop spiraling and start showing up for yourself with more clarity, grace, and strength.

Inside the episode, I share:

Why comparison is literally hardwired into your brain, and how social media hijacks that
The difference between inputs and outcomes (and why most comparisons aren’t even fair)
How to shift from self-judgment to self-growth using admiration
Why your worth can’t be outsourced to likes, progress pics, or anyone else’s approval
And how to build a stronger self-image that’s rooted in how you live, not how you look

This episode isn’t about surface-level “just stop comparing yourself” advice, it’s a deep reset on how you think, what you focus on, and how you start showing up with more intention in your own life.

And if this one resonated with you, you’ll want to listen to Episode 336: 3 Unconventional Ways to Overcome the Comparison Game next.

If you want more from me, be sure to check out…

Follow me on Instagram: @juliealedbetter | @embraceyourreal | @movementwithjulie
Movement With Julie | App: https://sale.movementwithjulie.com/
Macro Counting Made Simple Online Academy: https://www.macrocountingmadesimple.com/
Website: www.juliealedbetter.com

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	Hey, hey, beautiful human. Can I steal five minutes of your time? I have something super important to share with you, but I promise I'll be really quick. You're listening to my weekly bonus episode of Embrace Your Real with me, Julie Labbetter. I'm about to give you a quick tip for building your confidence, honoring your body, and unconditionally loving your authentic self. Stay tuned if you're ready to embrace a real.
0:21.7	Let's get it.
0:22.5	Let's go.
0:32.1	Hello and welcome back to another bonus episode on the Embrace Real podcast.
0:36.8	Let's talk about something that sneaks up on all of us. And that is comparison. You scroll social. You see someone else's progress. Their core. They're clean kitchen. There. I woke up like this selfie. And suddenly what you were proud of five minutes ago doesn't feel good enough anymore. Been there, felt that. And I want to lovingly call it out today because comparison kills confidence.
0:55.8	It distorts our progress. It clouds our self-worth. And it distracts us from what actually
1:00.7	matters. So in this episode of Embrace You Real, I want to give you three strategies that help
1:05.4	you shift from comparison to compassion because that's what builds a healthier self-image,
1:10.4	not fluffy affirmations,
1:12.2	not just love yourself more, but real shifts that actually work when your brain starts to spiral.
1:18.2	I want to share what's actually helped me stop spiraling into comparison and start rooting deeper
1:24.2	into compassion, real practical shifts that you can use the next time that you
1:28.5	catch yourself stuck in that scroll. By the end of this episode, you will walk away with
1:33.2	three powerful mindset shifts to help you stop comparing your journey to someone else's.
1:37.6	Real strategy for building a healthier self-image without chasing perfection or praise.
1:43.3	Science-back tools to reframe how you see your
1:46.2	body and treat it with more care, a reminder that your worth was never supposed to come from
1:51.0	likes, followers, or someone else's before or after photo. And last one at least, an encouragement
1:55.8	to stop outsourcing your confidence and start anchoring it with how you show up for yourself. Before we dive in,
2:03.4	though, I want to share this review. It comes from Speak and Act and Faith. She give a five-star
2:07.6	review and said, uplifting. I have recently come across your podcast and I have seen a complete
2:13.0	mindset shift. I love your upy personality that makes me also want to be more positive and talk more positively
	...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Previous episode | Next episode

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Julie Ledbetter, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of Julie Ledbetter and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.