This book started well, and it seemed like a short read so I settled down with it. But at one point, it started to be a lot of talking to not say much, and even the short book was dragging to be finished. It also felt like, if you usually compare yourself to some things, the stuff the author exposes in her narrative might give you more basis for comparison... Like if you didn't struggle with that lens before, well now it's on you, and the best way to deal with it is just...quit and get over it?
This felt rather simplistic and too 'easy', which it might be for some, but most people who come to this book will already have an issue with comparison and they're reading to find strategies - I'm not sure telling them to 'just get over it' is really what's going to help them.

I really enjoyed this. It helped me realize some of my poor habits and how to get out of the comparison game.

Interesting book. I had never heard of this author but I did enjoy reading this. Comparisonitis is hard to get away from. I know I suffer from it. I give into that feeling way too often. I have self-help books everywhere and this one is pretty good. I have quoted it a few times to friends.

I am thankful to have gotten a digital copy to review from the publisher and NetGalley. There are some good tools in here. Check it out!

A good book talking about don’t ever compare ourself with others . Instead , compare ourself with the past and current .

I always enjoy self-help books and think that it's almost an act of self-care to read them. I enjoyed Melissa's book and her stories and themes for helping not to compare yourself to others and focus on your own abilities. Some of the areas had been addressed before, but honestly, in self-help books these days most things have been covered. Nonetheless, there were some good takes in here and everyone could benefit from reading this.

Absolutely fantastic book. I found this title incredibly helpful and inspirational and I will be looking to stock this book in our store. It has inspired me to look for more of this authors work and follow her on social media.

I think this book is great for anyone looking to find out steps to a better life. I struggled with reading some of the chapters as I don't love how-to books but if you do this book is for you! If you are feeling in a rut this book could be a great solution for you!
#Comparisonitis #NetGalley

A readable book regarding the trap of comparisonitis. Melissa Ambrosini addresses her privilege in the beginning of the book which was great and goes on to deliver advice on the above topic. Unfortunately this advice can be boiled down to one sentence: stop doing whatever you have been doing. Some more strategies and guides would have enhanced this book ten-fold and I definitely wanted to like it more then I did. Another mediocre self-help book in a market flooded with self help books.

💗Book Review💗
Title: Comparisonitis
Author: Melissa Ambrosini (@melissaambrosini) Publisher BenBella Books (@benbellabooks)
Published: May 2021
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

I was given this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

From Amazon: "It creeps up without warning-perhaps while chatting with a friend, scrolling through social media, or even just while walking down the street! All it takes is the hint of someone doing or having something you perceive as 'better' than you, and it hits. A feeling takes over-intense, blinding, gutting. Your brain starts spinning with toxic thoughts about yourself (or others), and you're left feeling ashamed, guilty, and even worthless. It's called comparisonitis. And if you've suffered from it, you're NOT alone."

My review: I don't know about you, but I deal with this comparisonitis on a daily basis. This book was full of practical tips, advice, and tools for beating it in everyday life! Truth be told, I didn't expect to enjoy it as much as I did. There were plenty of questions to get you thinking and working towards a happier life.
One of my favorite parts of this book was where she had you imagine your inner negative voice as an actual person. Like with a look, a name, everything. Mine is a lady in her 40s who wears frumpy clothes, has a permanent frown and is very bitter. Her name is Ruth. Don't ask me why, it just is.

(What would you name your own negative inner voice?)

I highly recommend you check out this book even if your comparisonitis is pretty mild. Let yourself work towards a happier and healthier you!

✒️Quote: "Just like a tree is always either growing or dying, as long as you are constantly taking action and moving forward, you are growing and evolving. It's when we are standing still or going backward that we are dying."

#netgalley #comparisonitis #melissaambrosini
#ebook #review #bookreview #netgalleyreview #reviewsofinstagram
#selfhelp #happieryou #healthieryou #thursdaybooks #thursdayfeature #pink

Comparisonitis was a good read and interesting. The only thing that I didn't like was that it did gave me a feeling of trying to compare myself to other people. The author also has a privileged lifestyle and states you should eat organic foods but not everyone can afford only organic foods. I also didn't agree with the way she wants people to deal with mental health which is to go to a holistic practitioner. I did enjoy the book and everyone is entitled to their own opening of how you should treat your body and mental health.

It is an easy read and the interesting thing to read was the two views in life: the pie perspective and the candle consciousness.

Thank you netgalley for this book.

Comparisonitis is surprisingly good! The author balanced her own narrative with research studies, practical tips, and applicable exercises that encourage self-reflection and self-transformation. Also, readers can download a separate, free workbook on her website, but proof of purchase is required. Unfortunately, I only received the Advance Reader Copy so I don’t have a receipt to submit to get the workbook. But then, the exercises in the book are still doable.

As for the book-length, it is just right. The friendly tone makes it easier to read. Ambrosini is sincere, honest, and courageous in sharing her own fight against comparisonitis as a friend, writer, model, influencer, and, mother.

What struck me the most are the two views in life: the pie perspective and the candle consciousness.

From a pie perspective, opportunities are like slices of pie. When one slice is taken, there’s less pie left for you. In life, when other people do something grand, you feel like there’s less or nothing left for you. This mindset comes from having scarcity thinking.

Contrarily, the candle consciousness takes the abundance and infinite mindset. Every one of us holds a lighted candle in a dark room with equal brightness. Blowing the light out of another person's candle does not make your candle shine brighter. When one candle is not burning, you can light it again using your flame. In this perspective, all of us are shining, all of us are winning.

Comparisonitis is a must-read for parents, students, young professionals, influencers, or anyone who is already fed up with the destructive habit of unhealthy comparison.

Comparisonitis is so easy to read. I love the way Melissa presents all the info. Not too mention how funny she is. I wish I had this book when I was much younger.

At first I really felt like she was getting her point across and was glad about this book because it is a topic that needs to be addressed more often and not just in quick articles every so often telling us to unplug and that that happy couple isn't always like that. But then, personally, it kind of made me feel bad by reminding me of all the the reasons I might compare myself to someone. It also bugged me that she kept mentioning all the things she has in her life because for someone struggling with "comparisonitis" it was just another thing to measure up to.

I wanted to like Comparisonitis by Melissa Ambrosini more than I did, and when she addresses her own privileges in her introduction, I was sure I would love it. It felt sincere, but as the book progressed it felt more and more like it was added later as a way of addressing this beforehand.

Melissa Ambrosini's advice can be summed up in one short sentence: Just stop doing whatever you have been doing so far. To me it seems a little naïve to assume that the readers have not already tried to change the way they compare themselves to others. I know I have.

I do think she has some great advice, and that she talks about some very important and complex topics, but my main issue is the way she talks about health. Her whole take on healthy is very privileged. For example, she suggests you should only consume organic, healthy foods, but fails to define what she means by healthy. Not all people can afford organic food or have the time or energy to move their bodies or even rest, and the author fails to see this. At one point she even calls the reader "one smart gluten-free cookie". I do not understand how she expect you to heal your relationship with your body by calling it a temple instead of a body. A body is just a body.

I felt the same way when she talks about the time we send on social media. Instead of trying to set boundaries, unfollow the people that make you feel bad about yourself, and replace them with people that inspire you, she suggests you should just cut it out of your life in a sudden and abrupt manner. Sure, it can be a way of dealing with comparing yourself to others, but it seems a little extreme, when there's actually a lot of things you could try before you decide to go down that road. Having your phone on silent mode is in my opinion, one way of dealing with notifications and distraction which can ultimately lead to comparisons, but you could just turn off notifications for your social media apps, and only check in on new emails and comments on Instagram when you actively decides to use the apps.

Photoshopped images online are difficult to talk about, because on one hand they can contribute to a false truth about how people look (making you feel bad about yourself if you do not look that way yourself), but on the other hand I truly believe people are free do to with their bodies as they please, and Ambrosini fails to address this as well, and instead she insists on calling comparing influencers to influenza (another fun alliteration of hers). Another problem I have is how the author insist on creating smart made-up words and alliterations such as the Candle Consciousness when there is already a word for that: abundance thinking.

I ultimately lost it when she (quite late in the book) suggest you should seek help from a professional if your struggle with your mental health is too much, but one of the professionals she mentions is a holistic practitioner.

I want to make it clear that I did not hate this book. What this book does so right is addressing the toxic culture of constant comparison and its many different levels. As I previously mentioned I think she talks about some very important issues in our society, I just do not agree with how she discusses them.

So I actually listened to the first part twice. It hit that closely to me. A lot of her struggles especially in the mental health area I can directly relate to. Not to mention I want to name my imaginary baby (also infertily warrior) Leo. Oh and my favorite movie ever is Moulin Rouge, and I have actually been to a show.

I compare myself in every aspect. Every single aspect. I honestly will need to listen to this book several times, because it's a very deep-rooted issue that is going to take work.

The only semi-complaint is that in the audio version she mentions her other books quite a bit. I get it, but it distracts the book at hand

I appreciate the author for writing this book. I had never heard of Comparisonitis, I found myself immensely intrigued with this read. It is a quick read that has a lot of good tips and tricks to stop the habit of comparing oneself to another.

It’s really interesting that the author was writing some other novel and totally scrapped it and came up with this one. I can tell there was a lot of passion and real life lessons that this birthed this book. I will say there was a few times that I thought, “dang! I do that!” Comparison is a terrible habit that we all are guilty of doing sometimes but it’s time to break the chains.

Very good read for me. Highly recommend for a teen or young adult. Thank you NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Even though the title is pretty self-explanatory, Comparisonitisis about helping you understand your comparison-prone behaviour on a deeper level and release your need to compare yourself to other people.

It's skilfully written in a way that relates to you and what you are struggling with. Melissa makes sure that you feel at home when reading this book and offers an easy-to-understand approach when it comes to complex concepts.

The book is clearly-structured so you won't feel lost! It's very easy to follow and adopts a friendly manner of speaking to the reader. It doesn't come as preachy or patronising, but warm, caring and witty. The personal anecdotes sprinkled throughout the book are a great addition to explaining the concepts and providing further support for the reader.

My favorite part was the segment about social media comparison and how to lessen it. As someone who is on their phone quite often throughout the day (I know, I know...), it was really helpful to learn some of these techniques and apply them. Being off your phone, and especially social media, can definitely make you feel like you can breathe easier!

If you struggle with self-comparison, you'll find this book helpful without making you feel overwhelmed!

I have kindly received an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley and BenBella Books in exchange of a fair review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The title alone: Comparisonitis by Melissa Ambrosini. Reflecting on my own life, I will have to say, “Yes, I do compare myself to others quite a bit.” Comparisonitis is quite common in this day and age of social media. How often are we looking at everyone else’s highlight reels and assuming that’s their every day? How often do we wish we had or did something that influencers are doing? Yes, this is a perfect book for me, and highly likely anyone else who finds themselves sucked into social media.

Every day my husband insists I’m addicted to social media. And every day I disagree. But is he right? Can I ignore my phone and tablet and not go onto social media? I’ve done social media weekend fasts and that was actually pretty liberating! So much so that I’m considering making that a permanent thing!

Anyways, let’s get into this book. Ms Ambrosini goes into the various ways anyone who’s anything compares themselves to others on social media. She also offers tips on how to overcome that. She makes very good points and even has a chapter for our children! There’s also a chapter about what influencers really go through just to get that perfect shot! You know how many camera shots and angles you need to take before you get that ONE great photo you want to share? Yes, influencers go through that, too!

It’s important that we not allow what we see, or don’t see, on our social media affect us or those we love. I mean, let’s face it; getting depressed and upset about your good friend’s well behaved kids or the neighbor’s recent trip to Greece. We mustn’t let what other people do or post to control our behavior or attitude. Let’s all work towards eliminating our comparisonitis!

Special thanks to BenBella Books and NetGalley for this useful read! I give Comparisonitis by Melissa Ambrosini 5 out of 5 tiaras because it’s very informative and relatable. I appreciate all the suggestions on how to overcome comparisonitis!

Thank you to NetGalley and BenBella Books for the chance to read an early copy of this book!

I knew as soon as I saw the title that I needed this book. I had never heard of Melissa Ambrosini but comparison is something I've struggled with forever. And this book made me feel so much better! I even cried with how much some of the anecdotes hit close to home, and I'm so grateful to have this book's guidance.

This book is very breezy and readable, with lots of clearly-defined sections -- the first self-help book I've ever read where I could skip the takeaways because I'd absorbed the material so easily! The style really worked for me, even if repetitions of "comparisonitis" and "Inspo-action" (the action steps, I think it's supposed to be inspiration + action?) were grating at times, as were references to "making love" or "the dictionary defines ___ as."

A few other little things: The author pretty frequently recommends her other books, podcasts, workbooks, etc. -- I can't blame her if her whole business is selling her brand, but I don't like being pitched in the middle of a book I'm already reading. And while I thought her "behind the scenes of influencers" section was interesting, I gave some side-eye to the spiels of "I only recommend products I love and believe in" and "I never manipulate my body in photos, only lighting." There's also woowoo stuff about manifesting, spirit babies (creepy!), filtered water, and making your own toothpaste, but it fit with my stereotype of Instagram (which I don't use), haha!

I fully recognize that the above is nitpicky and cynical, but I wanted to include all my thoughts so that I can wholeheartedly say: I still loved this book and I pre-ordered a copy for myself. It was so powerful for me to see these topics discussed -- the focuses on body image, friend envy (especially fertility), social media were all things that touched so deeply. I don't have children yet, but the parenting section seemed so powerful and I'm excited to improve my own approach to comparisons so I DON'T pass down toxic thoughts to my kids. The book is full of mantras and mindset framings that I'm trying to use, and lots of useful action steps to take. I am so happy that I found this book, and I'm looking forward to doing a better job of keeping my eyes on my own lane and appreciating my own journey.

This book takes an empathetic approach and gives bite size approaches and allows you to have kindness and patience with yourself when dealing with life. This is so necessary for everyone to read in life. Highly recommend. Especially loved the reflection to true life to humanize my feelings and relate. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.