It’s a Friday night and you decided you needed a night in to relax. Your friends start sending you Snapchats of them having fun without you. You might even receive some drunk texts saying how much they miss you and wish you were there. You instantly regret declining their offers and feel left out. You promise yourself you are never going to say no to an invite again.
FOMO. The “fear of missing out.” It’s a real thing and a form of social anxiety.
I don’t remember ever really experiencing FOMO like I have since coming to college. There have been times that I didn’t want to go home for a weekend or put off studying because I’ve been too afraid of that dreaded feeling of being left out– but there comes a time in one’s life that you need to learn to say no.
Here are some tips to getting over your FOMO:
Limit your social media usage
Social media is honestly one of the biggest causes of FOMO. However, you have to remember that people typically only post pictures on their Instagram or Facebook when they are out having fun. They don’t usually post pictures of them eating a pint of ice cream and watching Netflix by themselves or crying in the library.
Reevaluate your priorities
Is that fraternity date party really more important than going home for a weekend to visit family? I’ve learned this the hard way, and for me the answer is no. You’re really not missing out if you are still doing something you love. You have to decide what is more important to you and learn to not dwell on what you could be missing.
Remember it’s okay to say no
While this can be extremely challenging, you need to remember it’s okay to decline an offer to go out if you just need some time to yourself to refuel. Take a night to practice self care– read a book, take a nice long bath, watch a movie… If you don’t want to go out, don’t make yourself go just because you don’t want to miss out.
Surround yourself with good people
If they’re really your friends, they will respect your decision to not go out. They won’t make you feel like you missed out if you couldn’t attend a party or didn’t grab dinner with them. Real friends don’t make you feel left out.
Live in the Moment
Who cares what everyone else is doing? Enjoy your life, do what makes you happy, and remember there is no sense in dwelling over what could have been.