As a college student, I have become accustomed to a weekly ritual of waiting for the weekend. As soon as Friday hits, I am ready to go out and party with my friends and see where the night takes us. However, as a sophomore now, I have learned that sometimes I need a break. Throughout the week I am working hard on assignments and when the end of the week comes around, I am often finding myself too tired to get all dolled up to go out. Despite my decision to stay in, I still sometimes feel left out when I see people’s social media posts or hear about their nights. I think about what I might have missed! I like being part of the group, so FOMO, or fear of missing out, is not a feeling I am foreign to. Here are some of the ways that I have been learning to deal with it.
One way the internet has suggested people reverse FOMO is to delete social media apps, however, this is something many teenagers and college students are not willing to do. I have learned that one of the best ways for me to decompress and push out the feelings of exclusion is to take a nice long and hot shower, use one of my favorite face masks, and snuggle into bed with my favorite movie on the television. Being super relaxed does not allow me to have intrusive thoughts about what I might have missed out on, or what I could be doing instead.Â
Another one of the ways I desocialize and manage my raging FOMO is by simply listening to my gut. If I do not feel like going out, I know that the best decision for me is to stay home. Psyching myself up for something that I am not fully onboard with is not fair to my body because it is telling me what I need. Although staying in may not be as fun as going to a bar or club with my friends, I know that by making this choice I will be cutting out the negative side-effects of partying. I will not be waking up hungover or tired, wondering what activities I participated in the night before, which is never a good feeling.
Lastly, a simple thing that always helps with my FOMO is my ability to tell myself that there is always next week. These bars and people are not going anywhere and maybe next week I will be ready to go out and go wild. Sometimes all you need is a one-week break to reset your body and mind to prepare for next time! Do not feel guilty for not wanting to be a part of the majority. If you want to stay home, make the best of it and allow yourself to rest! I promise you aren’t missing out!