Comparison is a polite thief. It does not break down the door. It comes in quietly, through a photograph, a promotion you heard about, a cousin's new house. It sits with you for a moment. And when it leaves, it takes your contentment with it.
The trouble with comparison is that it is never fair. We compare our inside, with all its doubts and struggles, with other people's outside, edited and smiling.
Here is what helps me. When I notice comparison, I ask two questions. Do I actually want their life, all of it, including the parts I cannot see? Almost always, the answer is no. And then: what is blooming in my own life that I have stopped noticing? Almost always, the answer is: more than I thought.