Undoubtedly, the greatest protection against being swept into a comparison trap is to develop a strong sense of self. In addition, having a firm understanding of self is a great way of pulling yourself out of a comparison trap.

To create a stable sense of self-involves cultivating your identity and self-esteem while nourishing relationships with those who support and affirm you.

1. Identify and accept who you are. It’s easy to be critical of yourself and others.  But to constantly be criticizing ourselves obstructs us from being able to see our strengths. To achieve self-acceptance you must focus on actions that can lead you further in that direction. Becoming accepting of who you are, in practicality, varies for everyone but to start, spending time doing things you enjoy and are good at while avoiding activities that make you feel a failure is sure to provide results. Get honest with yourself, too, in regard to social situations. Are your friends or even presence on social media making you feel less than good enough?
2. Identify your tendency to please others. It is very hard to have a strong sense of self if we form our identity based on the opinions of others, and choose our actions based on their responses to us. With that in mind it’s also our tendency to please everyone which is not possible. Who we make happy is a decision we sometimes must answer with a no. On the list of people, we can make happy the person on the top of your list should be you. Next, prioritize connecting with relationships that nourish you and support your beliefs.
3. Identify values. Values are the deep-rooted beliefs you have that guide your every choice in life, whether you are aware of them or not. Identifying your values can help prevent falling into a comparison trap. Especially if you have a tendency to please others this prevents the change in your beliefs to adopt others values because of a lack of self-confidence.