FOMO(fear of missing out)

 Fomo is “the fear of missing out”. I was totally unaware of what this term meant but felt it constantly. When I was in high school my parents were very strict, and I was rarely allowed to hang out with my friends. I was never allowed to go to parties or stay out late. I always saw everyone hanging out on social media looking like they were having the time of their lives. They spent so much time together outside of school making them closer to each other. I always felt like I was missing out and alone. I would spend pretty much every Friday night and all summer alone doing my own things like reading, gardening, and playing music. I decided when I went to college, I would go out all the time and never miss out on any opportunities to hang out with my friends. I had felt like I had lost time and had to make up for it.

The first thing I did when I got to college was got a job. My shifts mostly consisted of the morning shift having me wake up at 4am every weekend making it impossible for me to do anything past 7pm. My school schedule kept me extremely busy with being in two clubs and in an honors program that required volunteer hours. So again, I was left with Fomo. I had the hardest time making friends because I was so busy it left me feeling alone again. I decided to lessen my workload. I dropped a club, I went from twenty credits to eighteen, I talked to my manager and got my schedule switched to night shifts. 

I had every opportunity to go out on the weekend and hangout with my friends. I quickly realized that going out was almost just as hard work as my previous schedule. I started to burn out my social battery and it was making it hard to work and go to class. I soon realized that I really needed alone time to recharge so I could better focus on what really mattered to me. I realized I was not looking for a fun time, but I wanted meaningful connections with people and close friends. I also realized that I needed family time, I needed time set aside to call my parents and spend time with my brother. 

I also realized I needed to prioritize alone time for myself to do things like read, listen to music or simply watch a movie. I had gotten so busy that the task of watching a movie was too much work. It is difficult to manage time, I have never had a problem managing time when it came to school and work but friends, family, and relationships this was all a new area for me. I struggled with Fomo all throughout high school just to realize I was not missing out on anything. I am slowly learning how I want to spend my time and prioritize myself and have meaningful relationships and connections. 

 What Does FOMO Mean and How Do I Deal With It? (verywellmind.com)