Losing and Gaining Confidence: Spending Too Much Time on Social Media
Social media is a great way to keep up with out friends and families, but it can also take quite the toll on your mental health and confidence — especially when all you are seeing is others’ successes and not their journeys. So how do you rebuild that confidence?
Horse Nation is excited to announce a new series that will focus on one of the trickier parts of riding: confidence. Confidence is one of those fragile elements that, once shaken, can be hard to regain. In this series, staff writer Marcella Gruchalak will discuss a variety situations that can cause a rider’s confidence to crumble and practical approaches that have helped her rebuild her confidence.
As riders and competitors, we know there is a nearly infinite number of situations that can decrease our confidence level while riding. These situations can be anything from taking a fall to losing a trusted equine partner to browsing other people’s social media successes too often. Any of these factors can create uncertainty, fear, and/or difficulty finding enjoyment in the sport.
In this series, I want to focus on a variety of these situations and discuss ways to work through them. These are all things that I’ve experienced, and the methods I am discussing are things that have helped me regain confidence as a rider. We’ve all been there. The experience of losing confidence — for lack of a better term — sucks. But, if you keep putting yourself in the right situations and state of mind, the confidence does come back.
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Spending Too Much Time on Social Media
It’s no surprise that humans are social creatures. We like to interact with others. The social media era that we’re in has made this trait easier to accommodate. Within minutes, we can access over a dozen social media platforms. From Facebook to Instagram to TikTok, Pinterest, Reddit, and Threads, there’s a platform that appeals to everyone.
Unfortunately, having these applications at the tips of our fingers can be detrimental to our riding confidence. Continually seeing everyone’s successes with their horses is enough to get into your head — especially if you’re struggling with your own progress. I’ll be the first to admit I’ve been there. Watching as your friends bring home paychecks, buckles, and show ribbons can lead you to wonder why you and your horse aren’t as successful.
So, how do we combat that confidence breaker?
- Take regular breaks from social media. Get off of the apps and go do something that makes you happy. Being disconnected is great for confidence.
- Remember, most people only share the great moments. Don’t compare apples to oranges. Comparing your worst times to their best isn’t an accurate representation of what’s actually transpiring.
- Express gratitude rather than jealousy. If you find yourself in a place where you’re becoming jealous of others’ accomplishments, keep a journal where you write down all the parts of riding where you’re improving and have had success.
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When it comes to rebuilding your confidence with your horse, keep going. There is no one cure-all method to regaining confidence. Riding horses is hard work that takes courage and mental toughness. Every rider, amateur to professional, has points in their riding career where they experience fear, self-doubt, and insecurity. Keep working at it and trying your best and you’ll find the confidence does eventually come back.
