This New Year, the algorithms promise a new you. New diets, new fitness routines, new products. What better time to get on top of self-care?
But it’s not just in January that social media idealizes our existence. All year, users are bombarded with impossible standards in the most mundane parts of life, from skin-care regimens to nighttime routines and aesthetic cleaning practices. Parents watch moms picking up their children’s toys during naptime and feel defeated. Influencers share easy tips for a perfect complexion, and viewers who don’t have “good skin” get discouraged.
Dreaming about ideals can offer a comforting sense of control. Perhaps it really is attainable to have children nap through the afternoon, long enough to allow for meal prepping that sustains an entire week without a run to Chick-fil-A. But there’s also a danger to how much we idealize what could be—especially when it comes to our faith.
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