Let me say something that might sound “controversial”.
It’s okay to step away from people who make you feel small.
It’s okay to mute.
It’s okay to unfollow.
It’s even okay to turn off social media completely , if that’s what it takes to protect your focus.
We live in a time where comparison is constant.
You don’t have to look for it.
It looks for you.
Open your phone, someone is launching something.
Someone is winning an award.
Someone is speaking on a stage.
Someone is building faster than you.
And slowly, without realizing it, your mind shifts.
You stop focusing on your craft.
You start measuring your worth.
You stop asking, “How do I improve?”
You start asking, “Why am I not like them?”
And that question is dangerous.
Because it steals your energy.
Let’s be honest.
Not everyone who is better than you is meant to be your daily reference point.
Some people inspire you.
Others distract you.
Some push you forward.
Others quietly erode your confidence.
And maturity is knowing the difference.
There is a myth that says growth requires constant exposure to people who are better than you.
That’s partly true.
But here’s the part nobody tells you.
Growth also requires mental stability.
If someone’s presence makes you anxious instead of focused…
If scrolling through their achievements makes you question your own path…
If you spend more time feeling insecure than improving…
Then you are not learning.
You are spiraling.
And spiraling is not growth.
Let me be clear.
This is not about jealousy.
This is about strategy.
Athletes do not train by watching their competitors 24 hours a day.
They train by focusing on their own program.
Writers do not write by endlessly comparing drafts.
They write by writing.
Builders build.
They don’t scroll.
Sometimes, the bravest thing you can do is reduce noise.
Mute the accounts.
Unfollow for a season.
Turn off the notifications.
Delete the app if necessary.
Not because you hate them.
Not because you are weak.
But because your focus matters.
Social media has created a culture of performance without context.
You see results without process.
Applause without struggle.
Momentum without the years of failure behind it.
And your brain, constantly consuming this, begins to panic.
“I’m behind.”
“I’m too slow.”
“I’m not enough.”
But you are not behind.
You are simply distracted.
Focus is a finite resource.
If you spend it comparing, you have less left for creating.
If you spend it doubting, you have less left for building.
And building requires deep work.
Deep work requires silence.
Silence sometimes requires distance.
There is wisdom in stepping back.
Even from people you admire.
Even from circles that challenge you.
Because not every season is for exposure.
Some seasons are for preparation.
You do not need to constantly prove that you are unbothered.
You do not need to perform resilience online.
If you need space, take it.
If you need quiet, choose it.
If you need to disappear for a while to work on yourself, do it.
Progress does not need an audience.
Let me provoke you with this.
If turning off social media improves your output,
then social media was costing you more than you realized.
If muting someone restores your confidence,
then your environment was louder than your discipline.
Protecting your mental space is not avoidance.
It is leadership of yourself.
And self-leadership is where all real leadership begins.
One day, you may return stronger.
More focused.
More grounded.
Less reactive.
And when you see those same people again,
you will not feel insecure.
You will feel prepared.
Because you chose growth over comparison.
So yes.
It is okay to step away.
It is okay to mute.
It is okay to unfollow.
It is okay to go offline.
Not forever.
But long enough to remember who you are without the noise.
Because your journey does not need constant spectators.
It needs consistent effort.
Protect your focus.
And then get back to work.