We love to bang on about accepting yourself as you are, and loving your gorgeous self for the wondrous shiz it can do. And when we saw Cassie Mendoza releasing a book You Are Enough, we got all kinds of excited. And then we asked Cassie to talk to us about just how we can look past the perfections of social media, stop comparing, and just get on with living our happy lives.
Here’s what Cassie had to say.
How do you think pressures on women are different today than they used to be?
I agree that societal pressures are different on women these days, but I also think that we, as women, place so much pressure on ourselves. We’re always trying to do more, be more and then outdo ourselves (and others), and I think this is where we can create strife for ourselves.
Is social media to blame?
Yes, and no. I think social media can be so wonderful in how it connects us, and in how we can learn from it and expand our reach, but if we place too much emphasis or power in it and spend too much time using it without connecting in real life, or by comparing ourselves to others on it, then I feel it becomes a bit unhealthy.
How can we use social media in a way that is healthier?
I think spending less time on social media is probably a good start, and just ensuring you spend time connecting with people you love in the real world too.
What advice would you give to a woman who feels like she can’t measure up to what she sees on social media?
I’d suggest taking a little break from social media, or giving yourself a daily time limit on it. Delete the apps from your phone so you can’t mindlessly scroll, and don’t hop on social media the moment you open your eyes in the morning. Spend some time connecting back to yourself in whichever ways feels good to you (yoga, meditating, lunches with girlfriends, a massage, a long walk), have a ‘social media free’ weekend, and make space to consistently do real things in the real world that remind you that you are enough. Trust that you’re exactly where you’re supposed to be.
What can we do each day to ensure we keep a healthy perspective?
I think it’s so important to keep a rich life outside of your social media accounts, and don’t take everyone else’s posts as gospel. Every person you’re admiring or comparing yourself to is just a person, like me and you, so take them down off that pedestal and get back to creating a life that feels good to you.
Cassie Mendoza-Jones is a kinesiologist and naturopath, and the author of You Are Enough (Hay House), a book that’ll help you elevate your thoughts, align your energy and get out of the comparison trap. She works with women who feel stuck, tired, unworthy and disconnected to themselves, and with mindful, heart-centred entrepreneurs who want to grow their businesses from a space of ease and flow, without burning out in the process.
Through her writing, online courses and guides, private sessions and social media presence she helps them increase their self-belief, elevate their thoughts and align their energy.
Her lessons and insights have been featured in national and international publications such as Collective Hub, CLEO, Body + Soul, Women’s Fitness and Gourmet Traveller, and on popular websites such as The Daily Guru, news.com.au, Vogue.com.au, Sporteluxe, marie claire and smh.com.au. She’s spoken at events and workshops around Australia for a variety of companies such as Barre Body, New Balance, LinkedIn, Morgan Stanley and Eat Fit Food.
Meet Cassie and get ready to create more freedom and harmony in your life and business atwww.elevatevitality.com.au.
